The Wedding
by NcisLover17
Summary: Jen and Gibbs get married. Surprises ahead for Lexi! What happens when Jen and Gibbs go on their honeymoon, and Lexi stays at Tony and Ziva's for 10 days? Afterwards, many surprises lay ahead for their family that suddenly gets bigger... Contains spanking of minors in later chapters!
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! So, Changes is finished and this is the continuation of the Epilogue, which is basically the Prologue to this story, yeah you get the picture. I will try to update as often as I can. And, I don't really know much about the wedding procedure, so if I get a few things wrong, bear me with haha. Here it is! Will contain spanking in later chapters! Obviously, I don't own anything!

~*~NCIS~*~

_Meanwhile, Jen, Gibbs and family prepare for the wedding day, taking place in the first week of June. _

_**CHAPTER 1**_

"Lexi?" Ziva asked softly, knocking on her room door.

Lexi turned from where she was hanging up her dress in her room. It was a spaghetti-strap lavender dress that flowed to her knees and had a satin sash that tied in a loose ribbon at the front. It was a very pretty dress, Lexi had to admit.

"Are you ready?" Ziva inquired, closing the door behind her.

Lexi chuckled slightly. "It isn't my wedding day, Ziva," she replied.

"No, but, it is a life changing day for you, as well as all of us. Tomorrow is the day that Gibbs, your father, marries Jen, who is your soon to be mother," Ziva pointed out.

"She already is my mother," Lexi responded, placing her shoes in front of the dress.

"She will be your legal mother once the wedding and all of the adoption process is finished," Ziva pointed out. Lexi nodded and began cleaning her room.

Ziva observed the look on her little 'sister's face. "Something is bothering you," Ziva remarked.

Lexi shook her head. "Nope," she answered.

Ziva chuckled at her stubbornness. "You do know that I am here if you want to talk, right?" Ziva informed her.

"Uh huh," Lexi responded.

"You are a terrible liar, Lexi. I know whenever something is bothering you. It will feel a lot better if you let it out. You know that whatever is said does not leave this room," Ziva sighed.

Lexi bit her lip and looked away. "I-um... What if..." she stammered.

"What if...?" Ziva repeated expectantly.

"What if she changes her mind?" Lexi asked in a small voice.

"And why in the world would she do that?" Ziva asked incredulously.

"I dunno... but it happens," Lexi whispered, looking down.

Ziva shook her head in slight disapproval. "Now, we both know that that is far from the truth, Lexi. I do not think that Mom is in the mood to get those ridiculous thoughts from your head right now,"

"I thought you said that whatever is said doesn't leave the room," Lexi stated sarcastically, sitting at the edge of her bed with her arms crossed.

Ziva went and sat next to her, stroking her hair gently. "Lexi, you cannot keep bottling up your emotions inside like this. You have many people to talk to, that love you. You know that, right?" Ziva whispered.

Lexi nodded. "Good. Then what is bothering you?" Ziva asked again.

"What if Mom realized that having me as a daughter permanently is too much for her to handle?" Lexi admitted.

"I have never heard such cowcrap in my life," Ziva remarked in irritation.

"...Bullcrap," Lexi corrected.

"Semantics. If Ima did not want to put up with you, why would she even try to put up with all of us, Gibbs especially? She does have me, Kate, Abby, Tony, Tim, along with Kirsten to deal with," Ziva commented.

"I-I've never thought of it that way. I'm sorry," Lexi mumbled.

"I hate to hear such things come out of your mouth, Lexi. I love to see you smile and cheer and joke around in your usual sarcastic way. Even when you are hard to deal with, I love being kept entertained by your antics," Ziva sighed, hugging Lexi close. "And if I find out that you were thinking so foolishly again, you will experience my wrath firsthand,"

Lexi grinned and wrapped her arms around Ziva. "I hear you," Lexi replied.

"Good. I love you, little sister. Now get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow," Ziva stated, kissing Lexi's cheek.

"Um... Can you sleep in here tonight? I'm sorry if that sounds weird. I'm a 14 year old girl asking her older sister to-"

"Shh, Lexi. Not at all, sis. I do not mind," Ziva assured her, pulling back the quilt on the bed.

Lexi smiled and climbed into the bed, Ziva climbing in next to her. Lexi was immediately comforted with her big sister in the bed next to her... Even if she did snore.

~*~NCIS~*~

_0625..._

Lexi woke up early the next morning to the hustle and bustle of all of the bridesmaids getting ready.

"Lexi! Wake up, it is time to get ready!" Ziva shook her awake.

Lexi irritably rolled over and flipped the pillow over her head.

"Now, Lexi," Ziva ordered sternly.

Lexi grumbled and pulled the covers over her. Ziva immediately yanked the covers back and placed a hard smack to Lexi's thinly covered backside.

"Agh!" Lexi yelped, jumping up, now wide awake. She angrily turned to face Ziva.

"Up, now. We need to get ready, we must be ready by 0830, and I still need to do your hair and makeup. Shower, wash your hair and then get dressed," Ziva instructed.

Lexi huffed and dragged herself out of bed, then stomping out the door to the bathroom. Ziva shook her head and chuckled at Lexi's behavior.

_0652..._

"OWW!" Lexi yelped. Ziva slammed the comb that she was using to de-tangle Lexi's curls down onto the counter in frustration.

"Alexia Marie, stay still! I barely did anything!" Ziva snapped.

"I'd hate to know what doing something feels like," Lexi retorted insolently.

"If you do not stop the sarcasm, I will show you what doing something feels like, and I am not talking about your hair," Ziva warned icily. She blow-dryed Lexi's hair and straightened it. Then, Ziva placed Lexi's silky brown hair in a neat, braided chignon that was held with hairpins at the back of her head and a lavender flower placed at the side.

"Now, your hair is finished. Time for your makeup," Ziva announced with a grin. "Ah ah ah! No protests," she remarked, interrupting Lexi's whine.

Lexi sat as still as she could as Ziva applied eyeliner, mascara, concealer and lip gloss.

"Finished! You look so beautiful!" Ziva enthused, tipping Lexi's chin up to look at her.

Abby opened the door at that moment, fully dressed. "Hey, Zi, are you guys-Oh my gosh!" Abby started, then squealed when she noticed Lexi.

"Lexi, you look gorgeous!" Abby complimented. Sarah, who had come from Europe to attend the occasion peeked her head in.

"OMG, Lexi!" Sarah squealed, her hair and dress identical to Lexi's.

"Thank you, Abby, thanks Sarah. I like your hair," Lexi replied with a blush.

"Thanks, Kate did it," Abby answered. Her hair was up in two braided bunches with a curled strand of hair hanging down her face.

"I did what-Lexi! You look so pretty!" Kate walked in at that moment, fully dressed and her hair in the same style as Lexi.

"Oh my gosh! Lex, you are perfect!" Kirsten squealed, jumping up and down as much as she could with heels on, her blonde hair in a matching chignon like the others.

Lexi got up from her seat and bowed slightly. "It was all Ziva," Lexi remarked. "It took forever, though,"

"It would have taken less time if you would have just stayed still," Ziva replied, shaking her head, her hair up identical to Kate's, Kirsten's, and Lexi's.

"Now, we're all ready. Everyone grab their bouquets and let's head out!" Kate announced, clapping her hands.

With that, the bridesmaids were off!

~*~NCIS~*~

"Is this on right? I have no clue how to tie a bow tie," Tony grunted, pulling at his lavender bow tie. All of the groomsmen were in black tuxes with a vest underneath finished with lavender bow ties.

Ducky sighed. "Come here, Anthony. You must loop it this way, you tied it too early," he scolded, adjusting the younger man's bow tie properly.

"Um, Dr. Mallard? I think I'm stuck," Jimmy wheezed.

"Urgh, me too," McGee grunted.

Ducky sighed heavily and shook his head.

~*~NCIS~*~

0751...

"Are you ready?" Ziva asked Jen, who was gazing at herself in the mirror.

"As ready as I've ever been," Jen replied sincerely.

"You look stunning," Ziva complimented. Jen smiled and looked down at her flowing, lacy white wedding dress.

"It was my mother's," Jen answered.

"You'll do fine," Ziva stated with a wink. She started to leave.

"Ziva," Jen called.

Ziva turned around curiously. "Yes?"

"Thank you. You've been a great friend, and daughter," Jen responded with tears in her eyes.

"No, thank _you_. You have been like a best friend and a mother to me. We are family," Ziva said sincerely. Ducky peeked his head in.

"Jennifer, you look lovely! Are you ready, my dear?" Ducky asked. Jen smiled and nodded. She wrapped her arm around the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her out to the altar.

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi grinned as she saw her parents together at the altar. Her feet were killing her from standing in those high heels. She couldn't wait until the reception. There would be dancing, food, everyone just relaxing... What her parents didn't know was, her and Kirsten would be DJ-ing with music from their own phones, but they'd also play what they called, 'Stone Age Tunes' first. At least then, she'd get out of those horrible shoes...

Lexi snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the minister say, "Dearly Beloveds and Honored Guests: We are gathered here this day in the sight of God and the company assembled to witness the giving and receiving of the marriage vows,"

"Jen, I have been waiting for this day forever. You are my heart and soul, and I will cherish our love for as long as I live. Today is the day that I told you I loved you, the day that I vowed my love to you, and it is the best day of my life," Gibbs stated wholeheartedly.

"Jethro, you give me the strength that I need to get me through each and every day. I want to hold your hand every night, so we don't lose our spark. I take you to be my constant friend, my faithful partner, and my love from this day forward. I love you with every part of me," Jen replied with tears falling from her eyes.

"Do you, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live?" the minister asked, turning to Gibbs.

"I do," Gibbs replied.

"Do you, Jennifer Angela Shepard, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or for poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?" the minister asked, turning to Jen.

Lexi caught Jen's eye as she answered. "I do," Jen responded, grinning at Lexi.

"If there be anyone present who may show just and lawful cause why this couple may not be legally wed, let him speak now or forever hold his peace," the minister addressed everyone. There was a few seconds of silence as everyone looked around.

"Now, the rings?" The minister asked.

"Oh! Yep!" Tony piped. He nudged McGee.

"Tony, I gave them to you," McGee hissed.

Tony's face paled as he quickly dug into his pockets, panic written on his face. Gibbs glared in their direction. "DiNozzo!" he snapped.

"Got 'em!" Tony announced, holding the two rings up. Everyone chuckled. He presented them to Gibbs who smirked slightly. Tony quickly returned standing with the other groomsmen. Jen and Gibbs both placed the rings on each other's fingers.

"By the authority vested in me by the District of Columbia, I now pronounce you man and wife and what God hath joined together, let no man nor woman put asunder," the minister stated, and Jen and Gibbs kissed.

Everyone clapped and cheered. Lexi let out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding and closed her eyes in relief. Now, she had a mother and father again.

~*~NCIS~*~

1157...

"Alright everyone, now is the time to get ready for the reception. Tony, Jimmy, make sure the tables and the chairs are organized properly in the backyard. Ziva, Abby, can you guys help me prepare the food and drinks, and get the salads, ice cream and cake from the fridge and freezer? Good.. Sarah, honey, can you set up the food out on the buffet table? Nice. Tim, can you set up the speakers? Great. And make sure that the girls' playlist isn't too inappropriate. No whining, girls, keep this PG-13. Any questions?" Kate addressed the others once they met at Gibbs' house.

"I have one," Lexi replied, raising her finger.

"Yes, Lexi?" Kate responded.

"May I please take off these shoes?" Lexi winced.

Kate sighed. "If you're uncomfortable, you may. Go put on some flats. No sneakers, Lex," Kate answered firmly, knowing that Lexi would. Lexi put her hands up in surrender.

"I have a question," Tony followed.

"What, Dinozzo?" Kate replied in slight annoyance.

"When did you get so bossy, Katie?" Tony asked with a goofy grin.

Kate glared at him. "I'm not bossy, I'm trying to be the mature older sister here. And I want the reception to be decent,"

Tony chuckled and put his hands up in surrender. "Carry on. But remember that I am the oldest here,"

"Doesn't seem like it sometimes. Now, shall we?" Kate asked Ziva, Sarah, and Abby. They grinned. "We shall!" They replied.

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi and Kirsten walked around together in the backyard, old school love songs blaring from the speaker. Guests were beginning to pile in.

"Isn't it awesome that your parents are married now?" Kirsten inquired, sipping her cup of Piña Colada.

Lexi smiled at her cousin. "Yeah, it is," Lexi answered sincerely. "Oh my God! EJ!" Lexi squealed, hugging her boyfriend who was flanked by Greg and Luke.

"Luke!" Kirsten followed, hugging Luke. Their puppy love was only recently found out.

"Hey, where's the love?" Greg asked, a fake hurt expression on his face.

"Of course, Greg, how could we forget you," Lexi replied, hugging her friend tightly, Kirsten following suit.

"You guys look spiffy in a suit," Lexi remarked to the three boys.

"I'm sweating buckets," Luke complained. EJ and Greg nodded in agreement.

"Hey guys," Katie and Emily showed up at that moment.

"Thanks for coming, guys," Lexi commented with a smile.

"No problem," they all answered.

"Hey, are you gonna play old people music the whole time?" Greg groaned.

"It's for my parents, and all of the adults here. I wouldn't play Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and other weird artists if not. Don't worry, I'll play some modern music later," Lexi replied with a wink.

Lexi walked over to the food table to get some of Tony's lasagna. "My my my, look how you've grown," a voice sounded behind her. Lexi turned around and grinned.

"Uncle Callen?" Lexi squealed, hugging the man who was a long time friend of Gibbs.

"Hey, don't tell me G gets all the love?" Sam piped behind him.

"How could I forget you, Uncle Sam?" Lexi chuckled, giving him a hug as well.

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" Deeks whined.

"Maybe," Lexi giggled, wrapping her arms around him as well. "Where's Aunt Kensi?"

"Right here," Kensi replied, hugging Lexi tightly from behind. Lexi remembered when she had tagged along with Gibbs when he went to California on a case. That was where she met the NCIS:LA team. They were immediately fond of her and her tricks and now, they were shocked at how much she'd grown.

"Well, who is this young lady? Little Lexi? It can't be," Hetty remarked, walking up behind them.

"Yes, it's me," Lexi replied shyly. She was always intimidated by the short, and sort of lethal woman. She knew from experience that it was always the best to stay on her good graces.

"You don't look like the immature young child who started a prank war in my building. And superglued my agents," Hetty commented.

"Those days are behind me, Aunt Hetty," Lexi vowed, putting her hands up. A hand gripped her shoulder.

"Not too far behind you, Lex," Gibbs chuckled. "Thanks for coming," he addressed the LA team. Lexi walked over to her mother, who was talking to her friends' parents.

"There's my little girl," Jen remarked, squeezing her shoulders. It looked like she had also grown tired of the wedding gown and shoes because she had changed into a more comfortable gown with lower heels.

"You look beautiful, Lexi," Katie &amp; Luke's mom remarked.

"I agree," EJ's mother stated.

"What a pretty dress!" Greg's mother commented.

"Thank you, Mrs. Fernandez, Mrs. Palatino, and Mrs. Martin," Lexi answered politely.

"And polite, too! You must be very proud, Jennifer," Mrs. Fernandez stated.

"Yes, I am," Jen replied proudly, grinning at Lexi who blushed.

"I think it's time to dance," Lexi decided. She called her friends over to the speaker that was blaring music and picked out a bunch of dancing tunes, like _Mambo No.5_, _Cupid Shuffle_, and the _Cha Cha Slide_. It was hilarious to see Tony and McGee actually dancing. When the _Electric Slide_ sounded, everyone, even Ducky danced.

Tired from the dancing, Lexi and Kirsten ran up to the speaker and ceased the music. Lexi grabbed the mic.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome the reception of my parents' wedding. So, Kit and I will be DJ-ing tonight. Nothing too inappropriate. No promises, Kate," Lexi remarked. That elicited a laugh from everyone and a glare from Kate.

"Totally kidding. But, I think it's time to stop with the Stone Age Tunes," Lexi chuckled. The crowd laughed again. Lexi pressed something on her phone and '_Love Never Felt So Good'_ by Michael Jackson played. She'd specifically picked out songs that were appropriate for a wedding, but still exciting enough to dance to.

Kirsten and Lexi had played _Drunk in Love _by Beyoncé to 'signify her parents' honeymoon', eliciting more laughs and for Jen and Gibbs to turn a bright red.

Lexi had danced with Ziva, Abby and Tony when her favorite song, _Talk Dirty_ by Jason Derulo came on. When the rap part came on, they sighed in relief to hear that it was the clean version. They couldn't help it, Lexi was Lexi.

They danced to other songs by Usher, Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake and other artists.

Lexi, Kirsten, EJ, Katie, Luke, Greg, and Emily all had a great time dancing to** '**_Wiggle_' by Jason Derulo. The adults were amused at the song choice, but let the teenagers be teenagers, letting them have the dance floor for the song.

"Now, my older brother, Tony wants to dedicate a song to someone," Lexi announced.

Cheers and claps sounded as Tony took the mic. "Thanks, Squirt. Now, I'd like to dedicate this song to my special lady, Ziva David," Tony stated. "Ziva, I love you, and I hope you know that, its not a bad thing to fall in love with me, too,"

Ziva blushed but grinned and blew a kiss to Tony as the song played.

_Said all I want from you is to see you tomorrow_

_And every tomorrow, maybe you'll let me borrow your heart_

_And is it too much to ask for every Sunday_

_And while we're at it, throw in every other day to start_

_I know people make promises all the time_

_Then they turn right around and break them_

_When someone cuts your heart open with a knife, now you're bleeding_

_But I could be that guy to heal it over time_

_And I won't stop until you believe it_

_'Cause baby you're worth it_

_So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me_

_'Cause you might muck around and find your dreams come true, with me_

_Spent all your time and your money just to find out that my love was free_

_So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me, me_

_It's not a bad thing to fall in love with me, me_

Tony and Ziva danced together as their song played. Ziva was touched that Tony had dedicated that beautiful song to her. Lexi danced with her friends and they sang the song at the tops of their lungs. When the song ended, everyone clapped as Tony and Ziva shared a passionate kiss.

Lexi returned to the stage. "Alright, PG-13, folks," she remarked, causing the crowd to laugh. "Now, I believe that there were certain people who wanted to sing tonight. Myself included, so sit tight, everyone, the show has just begun!" Lexi announced. More claps as McGee and Abby walked up the stage.

"Hello, everyone, Abby here, and McGee and I will be singing _'Just Give Me a Reason' _by P!nk and Nate Ruess," Abby spoke. The song played. (Abby- italics, McGee-bold, Both- bold &amp; italics)

_Right from the start_

_You were a thief_

_You stole my heart_

_And I your willing victim_

_I let you see the parts of me_

_That weren't all that pretty_

_And with every touch you fixed them_

_Now you've been talking in your sleep, oh, oh_

_Things you never say to me, oh, oh_

_Tell me that you've had enough_

_Of our love, our love_

_Just give me a reason_

_Just a little bit's enough_

_Just a second we're not broken just bent_

_And we can learn to love again_

_It's in the stars_

_It's been written in the scars on our hearts_

_We're not broken just bent_

_And we can learn to love again_

Everyone clapped to the rhythm as Abby sang in perfect tune. To Lexi and her friends thought that she sounded exactly like P!nk. When McGee took the other mic, Lexi held her breath.

**I'm sorry I don't understand**

**Where all of this is coming from**

**I thought that we were fine**

**(Oh, we had everything)**

**Your head is running wild again**

**My dear we still have everythin'**

**And it's all in your mind**

**(Yeah, but this is happenin')**

**You've been havin' real bad dreams, oh, oh**

**You used to lie so close to me, oh, oh**

**_There's nothing more than empty sheets_**

**_Between our love, our love_**

**_Oh, our love, our love._**

**_Just give me a reason_**

**_Just a little bit's enough_**

**_Just a second we're not broken just bent_**

**_And we can learn to love again_**

**I never stopped**

**You're still written in the scars on my heart**

**_You're not broken just bent_**

**_And we can learn to love again_**

_Oh, tear ducts and rust_

**I'll fix it for us**

_We're collecting dust_

_But our love's enough_

**You're holding it in**

_You're pouring a drink_

**No nothing is as _bad as it seems_**

_We'll come clean!_

**_Just give me a reason_**

**_Just a little bit's enough_**

**_Just a second we're not broken just bent_**

**_And we can learn to love again_**

**_It's in the stars_**

**_It's been written in the scars on our hearts_**

**_That we're not broken just bent_**

**_And we can learn to love again_**

**_Just give me a reason_**

**_Just a little bit's enough_**

**_Just a second we're not broken just bent_**

**_And we can learn to love again_**

**_It's in the stars_**

**_It's been written in the scars on our hearts_**

**_That we're not broken just bent_**

**_And we can learn to love again_**

_Oh, we can learn to love again_

_Oh, we can learn to love again_

_Oh, oh, that we're not broken just bent_

_And we can learn to love again_

Everyone broke into loud cheers and applause as McGee and Abby finished singing. Their voices were fantastic, Tony was shocked that McGee could sing. The night was filled with surprises, with more to come.

"That was awesome, Abs, McGlee," Kirsten said into the mic. Tony laughed out loud at her 'McNickname'. McGee rolled his eyes at the fact that Tony was rubbing off on the girls.

"Tony and McGee are going to be singing '_Am I Wrong_?' by Nico &amp; Vinz," Kirsten announced. Lexi cued the song after McGee and Tony took the mics. (Tony-Bold, McGee-Italics, Both- Bold &amp; Italics)

**I wrong for thinking out the box from where I stay?**

**Am I wrong for saying that I'll choose another way?**

**I ain't trying to do what everybody else doing**

**Just cause everybody doing what they all do**

**If one thing I know, I'll fall but I'll grow**

**I'm walking down this road of mine, this road that I call home**

So am I wrong for thinking that we could be something for real?

**Now am I wrong for trying to reach the things that I can't see?**

**But that's just how I feel, that's just how I feel**

**That's just how I feel trying to reach the things that I can't see.**

_Am I tripping for having a vision?_

_My prediction; I'mma be on the top of the world_

_Walk and walk and don't look back, always do what you decide_

_Don't let them control your life, that's just how I feel_

_Fight for yours and don't let go, don't let them compare you, no_

_Don't worry, you're not alone, that's just how we feel_

So am I wrong

**(am I wrong?) **_for thinking that we could be something for real?_

_Now am I wrong for trying to reach the things that I can't see?_

_But that's just how I feel, that's just how I feel_

_That's just how I feel trying to reach the things that I can't see_

**If you tell me I'm wrong, wrong**

**I don't wanna be right, right**

**If you tell me I'm wrong, wrong**

**I don't wanna be right**

_If you tell me I'm wrong, wrong_

_I don't wanna be right, right_

_If you tell me I'm wrong, wrong_

_I don't wanna be right_

**So am I wrong for thinking that we could be something for real?**

**Now am I wrong for trying to reach the things that I can't see?**

**But that's just how I feel, that's just how I feel**

**That's just how I feel trying to reach the things that I can't see**

_So am I wrong for thinking that we could be something for real?_

_Now am I wrong for trying to reach the things that I can't see?_

_But that's just how I feel, that's just how I feel_

_That's just how I feel trying to reach the things that I can't see._

The music stopped and everyone applauded the two. Their performance was great, Jen and Gibbs had no idea McGee could sing. But Dinozzo? Tony squeezed McGee's shoulder in silent praise.

Lexi took the stage again. "Now, for the final performance, I will be singing a song that I think that I can relate to. My family knows that I can be a bit hard to deal with..." There was a slight murmur in the crowd.

"Hey! Anyway, I can relate to this song because, let's face it. If I'm annoyed, and my heart can't stop it, I find a way to block it somehow," Lexi said with a grin. Kirsten started the song and Lexi took a deep breath. (Bold- Lexi)

(La la, la la la la la na na na na na,

La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na x2)

**Hush, don't speak**

**When you spit your venom, keep it shut I hate it**

**When you hiss and preach**

**About your new messiah 'cause your theories catch fire**

**I can't find your silver lining**

**I don't mean to judge**

**But when you read your speech, it's tiring**

**Enough is enough**

**I'm covering my ears like a kid**

**When your words mean nothing, I go la la la**

**I'm turning up the volume when you speak**

**'Cause if my heart can't stop it,**

**I find a way to block it, I go**

**La la, la la la la la na na na na na**

**La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na,**

**I find a way to block it, I go**

**La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na [2x]**

**If our love is running out of time**

**I won't count the hours, rather be a coward**

**When our words collide**

**I'm gonna drown you out before I lose my mind**

**I can't find your silver lining**

**I don't mean to judge**

**But when you read your speech, it's tiring**

**Enough is enough**

**I'm covering my ears like a kid**

**When your words mean nothing, I go la la la**

**I'm turning up the volume when you speak**

**'Cause if my heart can't stop it,**

**I find a way to block it, I go**

**La la, la la la la la na na na na na**

**La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na,**

**I find a way to block it, I go**

**La la, la la la la la na na na na na**

**La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na,**

**I find a way to block it, oh**

**La la, la la la la la na na na na na**

**La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na,**

**I find a way to block it, I go**

**La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na,**

**La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na,**

**I'm covering my ears like a kid**

**When your words mean nothing, I go la la la**

**I'm turning up the volume when you speak**

**'Cause if my heart can't stop it,**

**I find a way to block it, I go**

**I'm covering my ears like a kid**

**When your words mean nothing, I go la la la**

**I'm turning up the volume when you speak**

**'Cause if my heart can't stop it,**

**I find a way to block it, I go**

(La la, la la la la la na na na na na

La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na

La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na

La la na na, la la la la la na na na na na)

When Lexi finished, the applause was deafening. There were a few whistles and cheers as Lexi bowed slightly. "That was for you, Mom and Dad. Love you," Lexi remarked, blowing a kiss in their direction. Gibbs struggled to keep his composure when he heard Lexi call him 'Dad'.

"Now, its time for the slow dances," Lexi said, putting on 'Rude' by Magic!. She felt that the song was fitting for this dance, as it had a nice reggae style rhythm to it and the message was clear and fun.

Ziva danced with Tony, Abby danced with McGee, and Jen danced with Gibbs. Lexi, Sarah, and Kirsten had even danced together. It was fun for Lexi to dance with her older brothers and sisters. Sarah didn't find it embarrassing to dance with her brother either.

Lexi played one last slow song, Stay With Me by Sam Smith set the mood well. EJ walked up to Lexi and held out his hand. Lexi took it, eliciting cheers and 'whoop's and whistles from everyone. Gibbs looked in their direction with irritation, but Jen pulled him to her.

"Leave them, Jethro. They're teenagers," Jen whispered.

Ziva, McGee, Tony, Sarah, and Abby all watched from the sidelines as EJ and Lexi danced to the music, EJ's hands at the small of her back and Lexi's hands at the back of his neck. Both were gazing intently into each other's eyes. Abby, Kate, and Sarah had tears in their eyes at that moment, Tony and McGee weren't too far behind them. Ziva recorded them on her camera for memories. She knew that from the time she'd seen them disappear into the hallway together at Lexi's party, that something was up between the two. She should have put money on it.

When the song ended, they stopped dancing and EJ had the parts (Gibbs' thoughts) to place a kiss on Lexi's cheek, drawing out a loud cheer from the crowd. Gibbs, Tony, and McGee almost fainted at that, and the girls, plus Kirsten, Emily, and Katie all squealed in delight.

The night soon died down after everyone had their share of music, laughs, food and wedding cake. When everyone went home, the family cleaned up the backyard and brought the equipment and speakers inside.

After Lexi had showered and washed the makeup from her face and let down her hair, she smiled as she recalled the events of earlier. She blushed when it dawned on her that she had actually danced and kissed EJ in front of all of her family and friends. But, she was okay with it. Today was the best day of her life.

~*~NCIS~*~

Alright, so, I hope that I didn't bore you all with this ultra-long chapter. I've never written a wedding fic and I don't know much about the process so I hope that I got some of this right! Lots of music, I know. I don't own any of it obviously, haha. If you want, you can listen to the music while reading, that's what I did and it helped me imagine this actually happening! Thanks everyone! Thank you Loverofallthingsmusic! Hope you enjoyed this one!

-Ally :)


	2. Chapter 2

~*~NCIS~*~

_The next day..._

Lexi woke up to the sound of her parents talking downstairs. She smiled at that, her 'parents'... That sounded good to her. She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand which read: **12:10 PM. **Lexi was glad that her parents didn't wake her, she was exhausted from the previous evening's events. Even TJ, her 9 month old German Shepard puppy was exhausted and laid by her feet on the bed, snoozing softly. What with all of the preparations, the dancing, singing, excitement and...

'Oh my God... EJ _kissed_ me! He really did!" Lexi thought to herself. She smiled at the memory. It was their first dance as a couple and it was one of the best of her life. Lexi became lost in those thoughts as she got ready and dressed for the day.

Lexi slowly trudged downstairs, TJ trailing behind her loyally, smelling coffee from the kitchen, and hearing a particularly boring conversation. 'Typical old people...' Lexi inwardly scoffed. When she reached downstairs, both of her parents were at the table, matching cups of coffee in hand.

"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs," Lexi greeted.

"Well, you're up early," Jen remarked sarcastically.

"Why yes, the early worm catches the bird, as Ziva would say," Lexi giggled. Jen and Gibbs smirked at that comment that couldn't have been more true.

Lexi reached inside of the pantry and pulled out a box of Lucky Charms, grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge, and retrieved a bowl from the cabinet.

"Great way to start out the day, with a healthy breakfast," Gibbs commented.

"You start out with coffee everyday. Gosh, what is with the sarcasm?" Lexi replied, setting a bowl of Kibble down for TJ. After finishing her late breakfast, she clasped her hands together and stared intently at her parents. They soon noticed that they were being stared at.

"What, Lex?" Jen asked with a sigh.

"Just wondering when the honeymoon is?" Lexi inquired, tilting her head thoughtfully.

"Tomorrow," Jen responded.

"Ooh! Where are we going?" Lexi beamed, clapping her hands.

Jen and Gibbs exchanged a glance. "Paris," Gibbs replied.

"Oh em GEEE! Paris!? Where it all began!" Lexi squealed. TJ started to wag his tail in excitement.

"Where what all began? What did DiNozzo tell you?" Gibbs asked in exasperation.

"Oh, ya know, Jibbs. He actually didn't tell me anything. And that was where Alexia Marie was first established," Lexi responded cheekily.

"What the hell is with this Jibbs crap?" Gibbs mumbled.

"Wait, you were born in Paris?" Jen asked in surprise.

"Oui! I lived there until I was 4," Lexi said with a grin. "Oh my gosh, we have to start packing! And shopping, I need Paris clothes! And shoes! And-"

"Lexi..." Gibbs started.

"Maybe we can go to the mall today, Mom!" Lexi continued to ramble. "And then we can figure out the sight seeing!"

"Lexi-" Jen tried to interject.

"Oh my gosh, I hope I can visit the Eiffel Tower and maybe-"

"LEXI, STOP," Jen yelled, ceasing Lexi's over-eccentric babbling.

"Lexi, you aren't coming," Gibbs sighed.

"W-what?" Lexi answered, her voice small. TJ whined slightly.

"Sweetie, it will be just Jethro and I," Jen told her gently.

"B-but, I-I thought we were..." Lexi trailed off, crestfallen.

"We're only gone for 10 days," Gibbs remarked.

Lexi's mood immediately darkened. "10 days!? Really? So I have to be stuck here in D.C. for 10 days when I could be eating éclairs and croissants in Paris!?" Lexi shouted.

"Lexi..." Gibbs warned.

"That is so unfair! Are you guys tired of me or something? I cannot believe this!" Lexi ranted.

"Lexi, stop this, now," Jen cautioned her seriously.

"I can't deal with this, I'm leaving," Lexi growled, pushing her chair away from her, causing TJ to yelp, then, she began to stomp away. Jen slammed her hands on the table and got up from her seat.

"Don't you walk away, Alexia," Jen snapped, following her.

"Whatever. Leave me alone," Lexi retorted, starting up the stairs.

"You get back here! Alexia Marie Shepard-Gibbs, get yourself back here right this instant, young lady!" Jen yelled furiously.

Lexi froze, then turned around slowly, shock and disbelief written on her face. "W-what did you call me?" she asked, moving towards Jen at the bottom of the stairs.

Jen's anger dissipated and she sighed. "I called you by your full name. The adoption got finalized 2 days ago. Since we'd signed the papers over 7 months ago, we were waiting for the finalization," Jen explained.

"S-so that means, y-you're... You're my-" Lexi's voice cracked.

Jen nodded and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Yes, I'm your mother, legally," she replied. Lexi immediately wrapped her arms around Jen, burying her face in her blouse. Jen held her daughter close in a tight embrace.

"And if you only want one last name-" Jen began.

"No, leave it. I like it. I'd rather have both of your last names so it can show everyone that I'm both of yours," Lexi sniffled.

"That's good to hear, baby," Jen replied softly, kissing her forehead. "Now, go get packed, you'll be staying with Tony and Ziva. TJ will be staying with McGee and Abby because dogs aren't allowed in Ziva and Tony's apartment.," she stated. Lexi grinned again and turned to go upstairs. Jen placed a hard swat to the seat of Lexi's sweatpants.

"Ow! What?" Lexi yelped, turning to face her with disbelief on her expression.

"For your little tantrum. Do it again, and you go over my knee, no hesitation, no questions asked. I love you," Jen responded.

"Yeah, I can feel the love..." Lexi mumbled as she turned away.

"What was that?" Jen asked warningly.

"I said I love you too," Lexi answered, running up to her room.

"That's what I thought you said," Jen called out. She chuckled to herself. Lexi was something special. And now, finally, she was hers.

~*~NCIS~*~

"Bye, Gibbs. _Amusez-vous à Paris,_" Lexi said in French, giving Gibbs a tight hug. He returned it and kissed her cheek. They were outside of Tony and Ziva's apartment.

"I will. _Amusez-vous avec Tony et Ziva_," Gibbs replied in French as well.

"I will," Lexi answered with a small smile.

"And if Dinozzo says anything about what Paris might mean, give him a headslap for me," Gibbs told her.

Lexi giggled. "I definitely will,"

Lexi turned to her mother, who gave her a big, long hug. "I'm going to miss you, so much," Jen remarked, kissing her head.

"I'm gonna miss you even more," Lexi stated. Gibbs knocked on the door.

"Not possible," Jen chuckled. Jen pulled away slightly to look at her. "I will bring you back something special when I get back, I promise. And I want you to behave yourself,"

"Mom, I'm not a little kid anymore," Lexi told her, stony faced.

"You're right, you aren't a little kid anymore. Your behavior is a lot better than it was last summer. Keep it that way, and then I wouldn't have to give you so many reminders," Jen replied icily. Gibbs knocked on the door for a second time.

Lexi sighed. "Alright," she mumbled. "It's just... I think that it sucks that I just found out that you were my mom for real, and then...you leave," Lexi continued in a small voice.

"Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, but I was looking for the perfect time to actually sit down and talk to you about it, and then I was so angry and yelled out your full name...so it all came out. And I'm sorry that we're leaving so soon. I promise you that we will hang out for a whole day when we get back," Jen told her sincerely.

"Just you and I?" Lexi remarked.

"Just you and I," Jen promised. Lexi hugged her tightly again.

"I'm going to miss you, Mommy," Lexi commented like that of a small child.

"Don't do that, Lexi," Jen sighed.

"Don't do what?" Lexi asked innocently.

"Call me 'Mommy' and make me feel guilty," Jen replied.

"But you're my mommy, right?" Lexi answered smartly.

"Yes. But you know that calling me that makes me emotional. Nice try," Jen stated, patting her arm. Lexi let her go and pouted.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted as he pounded on the door loudly. The door swung open to reveal a disheveled Tony.

"Sorry, Boss," Tony replied, breathing heavily.

"I'm not even going to ask what you guys were doing in there," Lexi remarked with a gag as she brushed past Tony with her bags. Tony nervously chuckled.

"Um, we uh... Weren't doing-" Tony explained sheepishly.

"I don't want to know," Jen interrupted with a smirk.

Gibbs walked up to Tony and put his hand up as if to headslap him. Tony flinched, but found that Gibbs was patting the back of his head.

"You take care of her, Dinozzo," Gibbs remarked.

"Yes, Boss. I won't let you down, Boss," Tony replied quickly.

Gibbs nodded as he and Jen walked away with a chuckle. Tony let out a breath and shook his head before going back inside and shutting the door.

~*~NCIS~*~

"Okay, kiddo, if you're hungry, healthy snacks are in the fridge and cupboard, Ziva doesn't like you kids eating sweets before dinner," Tony directed. He whispered in Lexi's ear. "There's a compartment at the side of the pantry with junk food and soda that Ziva doesn't know about,"

Lexi giggled. "Thanks, Tony. I don't mind a bit of healthy snacks every once in a while,"

"Oh, good. Dinner will be ready in about an hour. I'm making my world famous lasagna," Tony remarked.

"Okay, I'll just chill out while it's being made. Do you need help?" Lexi offered.

"Ha! So you can filch my secret sauce recipe? No thanks, kid," Tony laughed.

Lexi shrugged. "Fine. Where's Ziva?" she inquired.

"In the shower," Tony replied.

"No, I am right here," Ziva piped, walking in and towel drying her hair.

"Hi, Zi!" Lexi greeted her with a hug.

"Hello, Lexi," Ziva responded, returning the hug.

"I have awesome news to tell you guys!" Lexi remarked excitedly.

"You do?" Ziva answered curiously. Lexi nodded.

"But I'll tell you after dinner," Lexi stated. Tony and Ziva chuckled in amusement at what the news might have been.

Lexi went into the other room to change into more comfortable clothes. Ziva turned to Tony who was mixing various items in a pot.

"What do you think she has to tell us?" Ziva inquired.

"I'm not sure," Tony replied with a shrug.

"I guess we will find out later. Do you need help?" Ziva answered.

"No. I think that both you and Lexi are secretly trying to steal my secret tomato sauce recipe," Tony commented.

"Ha! Do not hold your breath. I have my chicken teriyaki sauce recipe to use as a weapon against your tomato sauce. I do not need to steal your recipe, Tony," Ziva laughed, walking away. Tony rolled his eyes and continued to cook.

~*~NCIS~*~

"That was great, Tony. As usual," Lexi remarked after they finished dinner.

"Thanks, sis. I believe that you had something to share?" Tony answered.

Lexi smiled and sat up straighter in her seat. "Okay, so, Mom and Gibbs told me earlier that they were leaving for Paris. I...didn't take it well," Lexi admitted.

"Meaning?" Ziva asked, knowing her little sister did not keep her temper in check at times.

"I threw a small temper tantrum...I yelled, pushed my chair away and started to stomp upstairs," Lexi replied.

"Really, Lexi?" Ziva scolded.

"I know I know, I was mad. Then Mom followed me and yelled out my full name..." Lexi continued.

"Yeah?" Tony replied.

"And then she told me, that the adoption got finalized 2 days ago. She was waiting for the right time to tell me. And then she yelled out my full name which includes both Shepard and Gibbs when she got mad at me. So that is how I found out," Lexi finished.

Ziva and Tony exchanged a surprised look. "That's great, Lexi!" Tony and Ziva simultaneously remarked.

"Thanks, guys. I felt sad that they were leaving so soon and I just found out that Mom is my real mother," Lexi admitted.

"It is alright, Lexi. We will have fun. And you have Kirsten, and Sarah who is staying until next month, to keep you company," Ziva comforted, patting Lexi's hand.

"And, since you started softball a few months ago, we can take you and Kirsten to the batting cages," Tony offered.

"I shall hit, also. I have learned the game and my arm is quite strong," Ziva remarked.

"Quite strong? Ziva, you pitch at almost 85 mph!" Tony protested.

"Oh wow! That's really good! My arm isn't that strong but, my coach said that for someone who just started playing softball, I'm doing great," Lexi commented.

Lexi remembered her first game of softball. As usual, her parents and the team were there...

_May..._

_Lexi stood at shortstop in ready position. Her hat with the school logo on her head, not providing much protection against the brutal sun above them. Standing on the toes of her cleats with her hand in her glove, she watched closely as the girl at home plate prepared to swing. Kirsten stood at third base in the same position. Emily pitched the ball swiftly, causing the players to take a few steps forward and place their glove on the ground in preparation. Three balls, two strikes...it was either strike her out, or let her walk to first._

_**PING!**_

_The ball sailed straight for Kirsten at third base. Kirsten jumped and caught it, then threw it all the way to first base, getting the girl out. The crowd of parents on the home bench cheered her on._

_"Way to be, Kit!" they heard from the bench. Most likely McGee._

_Lexi softly punched Kirsten's arm as a silent 'good job' as they got ready to hit. Kirsten smiled in reply. Lexi gasped slightly as she realized that she was first in the line-up. She quickly grabbed her helmet, batting gloves, and bat, put them on and practiced her swing for a moment._

_"First batter up," the umpire called. Lexi took a deep breath before walking out to home plate. She turned to face one of her coaches, who stood behind her. Her coach nodded and smiled. Lexi turned and set up to hit, head down and eyes on the ball, hands on the handle of the bat which was raised and positioned at her right side, legs apart and knees bent...well, not quite..._

_"Make sure to keep your knees bent, Lexi!" She heard Jen yell from the bench. Lexi blushed and groaned to herself. The pitcher pitched the ball... Lexi froze. The ball flew in front of her into the catcher's glove._

_"**Striiiikke!"** The ump yelled. Lexi turned to face her coach, who clapped her hands together and yelled out words of encouragement. _

_Lexi set up again. 'Nothing over my head, nothing below my knees,' Lexi thought to herself._

_The pitcher pitched the ball again...the ball flew in front of her...Lexi swung hard._

_And missed..._

_"**Striiiikke**!" The ump yelled once more._

_"Keep fightin', kid, let's go!" Gibbs yelled from the bench._

_"You got it, Champ!" Tony shouted._

_Lexi set up again, the pressure making her head spin. 2 strikes against her. Either she swung, or struck out. The pitcher pitched the ball once more, the ball flew in from of her._

_Lexi swung._

_**PING! **The bat came in contact with the ball and flew clear towards center field._

_Lexi ran straight to first, and then let her foot hit the bag._

_"**SAFE**!" she heard. Her team cheered in the dugout and her family yelled out praises from the bench...She remembered feeling a great sense of pride and achievement._

Lexi had progressed greatly from that game, and now, she was better than ever. The team and her parents went to every game, cheering her on, supporting her.

"Yes, it will be a fun 10 days. As long as you behave," Ziva remarked.

Lexi ignored the last comment as she stood up and gathered the plates and glasses from the table, then placed them in the sink.

"And no tantrums, Lexi!" Ziva warned.

"No promises!" Lexi called back. Ziva appeared by the kitchen doorway and gave her a look.

"No promises?" Ziva repeated.

"Nope," Lexi replied in a mock bratty way.

"Do you know what happens to cheeky little girls who throw tantrums in this house?" Ziva asked, only partly joking around.

Lexi pretended to think hard. "I'm not sure," Lexi replied.

"You will see," Ziva warned with a sly smirk.

"Will I?" Lexi retorted.

Ziva moved behind her and extracted a wooden spoon from the utensil jar. Lexi quickly backed away as Ziva advanced on her.

"Words, Ziva... use your WORDS!" Lexi screeched as she ran away. Ziva tackled her onto the big sofa and playfully pinned her against it, face down. She raised the spoon and brought it down rapidly onto the seat of Lexi's thin gym shorts.

"Ah! Ziva, no! Tony! TONYYY, HELP!" Lexi shrieked, trying desperately to wriggle out of Ziva's grasp, but she found that while her older sister seemed a bit small in size, the weight on top of her told her otherwise.

Tony peeked his head into the living room. "Sorry, she warned you," Tony replied with a shrug.

"Ow! Rule 1, Dinozzo! Ouch! Does it mean ow! Anything to you? Owww! Ziva, stop!" Lexi screeched. Ziva stopped, but did not let her up.

"Do you get my grift now, Lexi?" Ziva inquired.

Lexi turned her head and gave Ziva a defiant look. "I think you mean drift," Lexi grunted.

Ziva swatted Lexi once hard with the spoon in reply. "OW! Alright, I get it! Could you please get off? You're not very light, ya know," Lexi yelped.

"Good. But next time, I will not be so gentle," Ziva answered, easing up off of her. Lexi got up with a wince.

"Gentle? You were trying to kill me with that thing!" Lexi accused. Ziva smirked and took Lexi in for a bear hug.

"Oh, stop whining, you big baby. I did not hit you that hard," Ziva scoffed.

"You really have this older sister thing down, don't you?" Lexi asked. "First you chase me down, tackle me, SIT ON ME, torture me, and then tease me for being a baby,"

"I believe so. And I am doing a pretty good job of it, if I do say so myself. But remember, you have 2 other older sisters and 2 older brothers to torture you. So I am not the only one," Ziva reminded. She put the spoon back and the three returned to the living room to watch TV.

"Kate doesn't seem like the 'torture you until you scream uncle' kind of sister. She seems like the 'do it my way or else' kind of sister. That's probably why Kirsten is so well-behaved most of the time," Lexi commented.

"You are right. Abby is the fun-loving 'torture you until you pee yourself laughing' sister," Ziva commented.

"That is so true," Lexi laughed.

"Kate was never this bossy. She was a lot worse when I first met her," Tony chuckled.

"Kate is cool, though. I love how she takes charge and is super calm and collected when things go wrong," Lexi said.

"I'm surprised that Ziva didn't take out her paperclip on you," Tony remarked.

"You mean," Ziva took a paperclip from an unknown part of her pants. "This?"

"Whoa," Lexi gasped.

"Put that away before you kill someone, Zi," Tony commented, backing away.

Ziva smirked and put the paperclip back. Lexi sat back as Tony set up 'Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones' on the television.

"It's Horror Night. You can handle horror movies, Lex?" Tony asked.

"Of course! I've seen all of the Paranormal Activity movies," Lexi replied.

And with that, the three watched the horror movie together. Despite Lexi insisting that scary movies didn't scare her, she buried her face in Tony's shirt at the scary parts, causing Tony and Ziva to exchange amused glances over her head. 10 more days to go...

~*~NCIS~*~

Hope you all liked this! (The softball game flashback is based on a true story!)

-Ally :)


	3. Chapter 3

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi woke up fairly early the next morning. She got up, brushed her teeth, showered, and then walked into the kitchen to find something to put together for her breakfast. Apparently, Tony and Ziva were not up yet, since their room door was closed. Lexi opened the fridge and gazed inside at it's contents.

"Dude... What is with Ziva and healthy food? Ugh, I'm too lazy to make eggs or bacon right now..." Lexi grumbled to herself, grabbing the milk from the fridge and slamming the door shut. She searched the pantry through all of the healthy choice cereals when she remembered the secret compartment that Tony had told her about. She reached over to the side of the pantry and discovered a small cabinet. She opened it.

"Awww sweeeeeet," Lexi whispered, pulling out a jumbo box of Cocoa Puffs from the cabinet. She marveled at the many salty snacks, sweet treats, sugary cereals and caffeinated soda arranged neatly inside of the secret cabinet. She quickly poured the Cocoa Puffs into a bowl and added milk. She sat and finished her breakfast, then began playing on her phone.

"Good morning, Lexi," Tony and Ziva greeted her from behind, effectively startling her before kissing her cheeks and squishing her in a tight group hug.

"Good morning, Tony. Good morning, Ziva," Lexi replied, slightly muffled by the kisses and hugs.

"There is a visitor coming to stay with us for the 10 days that you are here," Ziva stated.

"Really? Who?" Lexi inquired curiously.

Tony and Ziva exchanged an amused glance. "Not telling," Tony replied. "They will be here soon,"

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Lexi looked at them with a puzzled expression. "Why don't you answer it?" Ziva asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

Lexi slowly rose up and walked to the door. She opened the door and immediately grinned.

"Kit!?" Lexi squealed excitedly.

"Lexi!" Kirsten replied loudly. The girls squealed more and hugged each other, jumping up and down.

"Alright, girls. You don't want the neighbors complaining," Kate remarked with a chuckle. She greeted Lexi with a hug before guidingk them inside.

"Hey, Kate," Tony greeted with a hug.

"Hey, Tony. Hi, Zi," Kate replied, hugging Ziva next.

"OMG, Kirsten is staying with us!?" Lexi squealed once again.

"Yes. I decided to let her stay with you to keep you company," Kate answered with a smile. She turned to Kit.

"And any misbehavior will be left to Tony and Ziva to deal with as they see fit. Understood?" Kate said softly but firmly to Kirsten.

"Yes, ma'am," Kirsten responded obediently. Kate then hugged and kissed Kirsten warmly and went to leave.

"Call me if you need me. I have a few errands to run," Kate commented to Tony and Ziva. "Have fun girls."

The girls nodded and Ziva closed the door behind her.

"Lexi, help Kirsten get her stuff in order in the room, please," Tony instructed.

Lexi saluted. "Aye aye, Cap'n," she replied.

"Alright, Sally McSmartAss, get moving," Tony remarked with a mock glare. Lexi smirked and helped Kirsten take her bags to the room they would be sharing.

"Lex?"

"Yeah, Kit?"

"Uncle Tony and Aunt Ziva wouldn't really...ya know...would they?" Kirsten asked, eyes wide.

"You call them aunt and uncle?"

"Yeah, but not to their faces yet. Since they are like my mom's sister and brother, I probably should," Kirsten replied with a shrug. "Now answer my question,"

Lexi sighed and finished making up the bed. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Kit. But, yeah they would. Ziva would for sure, if you piss her off bad enough. But I haven't completely tested the waters with Tony yet,"

"You aren't planning to, are you?" Kirsten asked knowingly.

Lexi smirked and rolled her eyes. "We both know that I'm going to end up testing the waters with both of them. But Tony is not Gibbs. He probably wouldn't,"

Kirsten gave her a serious look. "Fine. But I won't be testing any waters with anyone. I will stay in the sand watching the scenery," she replied.

"That's what they all say," Lexi answered in a sing-song voice.

"Well, I'm serious," Kirsten insisted.

"Okayyy," Lexi sang again. Kirsten had to roll her eyes. Lexi was so annoying sometimes...

~*~NCIS~*~

For the entire afternoon, Lexi began to prank Kirsten, harmless and small at first, like frightening her multiple times, once using Tony's Scream mask from Halloween. It soon grew into Lexi pranking her every chance she got. She pelted her with a Nerf pellet gun, she hid her phone for a full hour, smirking as Kirsten almost had a hissy fit tearing up the apartment looking for it, and sprayed her with ice cold water from a water gun.

The final straw was when Kirsten casually walked into the apartment's seemingly empty living room. She looked around first, then grinned when she saw no Lexi. As she walked further, however, Ziva's exercise ball suddenly flew from across the room and connected with Kirsten's face. The impact knocked Kirsten backwards, flipping her over the couch and landing her on her stomach on the floor. Of course the ball didn't harm Kirsten, but the prank was too much.

"Dammit, Lexi! What the hell is your deal today!?" Kirsten screamed, stomping close to the hysterically laughing Lexi's face.

"Hey! What is the meaning of this?" Ziva interrupted.

"She has been pranking me all day! I am sick of this!" Kirsten yelled, pointing to Lexi in outrage.

"C'mon, Kit, lighten up. They were only harmless," Lexi chuckled.

"Lexi, I thought you learned your lesson about pranks last summer?" Ziva asked, eyebrow raised.

"Weeeellll...I did. But I got bored. Kit was being a stick in the mud all day-"

"Not true!" Kirsten protested.

"-And it was funny, Zi. No one got hurt," Lexi shrugged sheepishly. Ziva took in the innocent look in her baby sister's big blue eyes. She then took in the angry and revengeful look in her niece's gray ones. Ziva sighed.

"No more pranks, Lexi," Ziva said sternly, giving Lexi a look that meant business. Lexi put her hands up in surrender, still smirking. Kirsten huffed and sent a scowl in Lexi's direction.

"And Kit, I do not want to hear anymore of that language. You are a very nice and polite young lady, and I do not like hearing those words from you, or anyone else for that matter. Alright?" Ziva stated softly but seriously, turning to Kirsten.

"Yes, Aunt Ziva," Kirsten mumbled. Ziva was shocked that Kirsten had actually called her 'Aunt Ziva'. She had always thought of Kirsten as her niece, but she didn't know that Kirsten had thought of her as an aunt as well.

"Good," Ziva replied with a nod. She walked away, leaving the girls alone in the living room. Kirsten stared at Lexi in annoyance and Lexi stared back at her with a smirk.

"Loosen up, Kit Kat, you can't be so tense all the time," Lexi chuckled, flopping onto the couch and turning on the TV. Kirsten narrowed her eyes at her, before walking off.

"Oh, I'll loosen up alright," Kirsten grumbled, a new idea popping into her head.

~*~NCIS~*~

Kirsten snuck into the living room where the TV was still blaring, but Lexi was sleeping soundly on the couch. Kirsten grinned and tiptoed towards her cousin. She glanced at the shaving cream in her palm with a smirk. Kirsten raised her hand slightly and brought it down on Lexi's cheek. That elicited an immediate reaction from Lexi, who jumped up with an outraged yell.

"Agh, shit! What the hell, Kirsten!?" Lexi screamed, wiping the shaving cream from her stinging cheek. Kirsten laughed loudly.

"Ha! Not so funny now, huh? You told me to loosen up!" Kirsten jeered.

"That's it!" Lexi shouted, lunging for Kirsten. Both began rolling around on the floor. It wasn't a real fight, like what they had just months before, but more of a minor brawl.

"Hey! Break it up!" Tony yelled, pulling Lexi away.

"That is enough!" Ziva followed, pulling Kirsten away.

"Fighting? Again?" Tony demanded in disbelief.

"No, Tony, it wasn't exactly a real fight. But she smack-cammed me!" Lexi huffed.

"I didn't have a camera, genius," Kirsten chuckled.

"Is that true, Kirsten?" Ziva asked.

Kirsten sighed and gazed at the floor. "Yes...but I had to get revenge!"

"But I did say no more pranks," Ziva pointed out.

"Technically, you told Lexi no more pranks..." Kirsten mumbled.

Ziva glared at Kirsten slightly. "Do not make me have to swat you, Kirsten," she warned. Kirsten backed away from her, covering her backside.

"And you, Lexi. I heard what happened earlier," Tony remarked, crossing his arms.

Lexi threw her arms up in frustration. "What the hell, Tony! It was her this time! And I said I was sorry! God!" Lexi shouted.

Kirsten's eyes widened slightly, and Ziva and Tony scowled at their sister.

"Hey!" Tony barked, grabbing Lexi's arm and pulling her close to him. "Do not start with the attitude. You've been very well-behaved this past year, so I suggest you keep it that way and leave your attitude where it belongs, in last year. If you keep it up, it won't be pleasant,"

Lexi stared at him in shock for a few moments before glaring."Y-you wouldn't," Lexi answered half confidently.

"I dare you to try me. I'm serious. During the rest of the 10 days that you're here, if you give an attitude, you will end up across my knee. Am I making myself clear, Alexia Marie?" Tony growled.

Lexi's face turned red in anger and slight embarrassment, but she nodded. "Yes, Tony," she replied.

"Good. And watch the way you speak to me," Tony warned. Lexi said nothing, scowling at the ground. She'd seen Tony serious probably once or twice, but this time, it was like he was a whole new person.

"Now. If there aren't anymore incidents, we will go to the batting cages," Tony announced. The girls' faces lit up.

"Really?" They squealed.

"Yep. And we have yet another visitor to join us," Tony replied.

"Who?" Lexi inquired.

"The legendary Sarah McGee," Tony answered.

"Sarah!" the girls cheered. Lexi loved Sarah like an older sister, and she was highly upset when Sarah had to leave for Europe. But now, Sarah was back for the rest of the summer. Kirsten was slowly getting used to Sarah, and she really liked her sarcastic humor, and fun-loving nature. She noticed that her and Lexi could pass for sisters easy.

"Yep. And she used to play softball in middle school so she'll tag along with us. And she's staying for only 3 days," Tony stated.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Lexi and Kirsten raced to open it. Kirsten got to the door first and opened it.

"Ah! Sarah!" Kirsten remarked, hugging Sarah tightly.

"Nice to see you too, Kit," Sarah replied, hugging her back.

"Hey, Sarah!" Lexi squealed, hugging Sarah next.

"Hey, sis!" Sarah answered, returning the hug.

"Hello, McGeek, mini McGeek," Tony greeted.

"Really, Tony? How about coming up with something more original," Tim responded, rolling his eyes.

"My apologies, McSensitive," Tony replied with a smirk.

"Anyway...Sarah, I'll see you on Thursday. Call me if you need me," Tim answered, turning to Sarah.

"I will, Tim," Sarah replied.

"Good. Well, I've gotta get going. Have fun," Tim said, kissing Sarah's forehead and leaving.

"Let the games begin," Sarah remarked to the girls, a wide grin on her face.

~*~NCIS~*~

2 days later...

"Girls, we were just called in for a case," Ziva announced to the teens who were watching TV together.

"Now? But it's 6 p.m," Lexi pointed out.

"It is urgent. We are needed right now. Tony is the Senior Field Agent, so he is playing Gibbs for a week. Deputy Director Vance is in office at the moment, and he wants us on it immediately," Ziva explained.

"Oh great. That stiff walking woodchuck is back?" Lexi groaned. Sarah and Kirsten snorted.

"Be nice. He is in charge of the agency until your mother comes back," Ziva scolded lightly.

"I can't help it. He's such a dick," Lexi remarked.

"You watch your mouth," Ziva hissed.

"But that's technically a nickname," Sarah protested.

"The context in which Lexi used it was different, and you know that, Sarah," Ziva replied firmly. "Listen, I know that he is not the most agreeable person-"

"That's an understatement..." Lexi interrupted.

"-But he is the boss right now. And I do not think that Jen would like to hear that you disrespected the Acting Director in her absence, now would she?" Ziva continued.

"I guess not. But for the record, I can't stand him, Gibbs can't stand him, Mom can't stand him, and I know for sure that you guys can't stand him, either," Lexi retorted sassily.

"That may be true, but he is our boss only for a week. Personal feelings are not to get in the way of work. We still have to hold an amount of respect as he is our superior," Ziva told them gently.

"Alright," Sarah answered.

"Okay," Kirsten replied.

"I'll try. The guy just seems like he's got multiple toothpicks shoved up his ass..." Lexi mumbled. Due to either Ziva's impeccable hearing or Lexi's inability to whisper, Ziva clearly heard what was said.

Ziva grabbed Lexi's arm and pulled her close, their faces a few inches away from each other. "If I hear another curse word, whether it be ass, hell, piss, or damn, come out of your mouth again, I will wash your mouth out with soap. And don't even bother to say them in a different language. I was taught all of the dirty words and phrases in over 15 languages at the age of 6, so I will know. Is that understood?"

Lexi's eyes widened and she nodded quickly. Ziva let her go.

"Zi, can't we come with you guys? There's nothing to do here," Sarah said.

"Yeah, she's right," Kirsten added.

"Please?" Lexi followed.

"No, you three will stay here. Sarah is more than capable of watching you two, as she will be 18 in a few months," Ziva replied.

"We aren't babies, Ziva," Lexi stated, rolling her eyes.

"No one leaves the apartment while we are gone, understood?" Ziva replied, ignoring Lexi.

The three girls nodded. "Good. Tony?" Ziva called.

"Ready when you are, Zi!" Tony yelled from their bedroom.

"Leftovers are in the fridge, heat them up if you get hungry. You have both of our numbers. Call if it is an emergency, and I mean a _real _emergency. Be nice to each other and do not leave the apartment," Ziva told them. She went to each girl and planted a kiss to their foreheads.

"Tony! I'm driving!" Ziva announced, pulling the car keys from her pocket and jingling them.

"I'm dead," Tony groaned, following her out the front door.

"Great. Now what do we do?" Lexi grumbled.

"Not sure. Maybe take a nap?" Sarah suggested with a yawn.

"Great idea," Lexi replied sarcastically. She walked into her room and shut the door. Kirsten rolled her eyes and followed her. She opened the door to find Lexi putting on different clothes.

"Um, what are you doing?" Kirsten asked in confusion.

"Getting dressed," Lexi answered simply.

"For?"

"I'm going to Emily's house," Lexi stated, pulling a shirt over her head.

Kirsten gasped. "What? But you can't-"

Lexi quickly placed a hand over Kirsten's mouth, interrupting her yell. "Sh! Are you crazy? Pipe down or Sarah'll hear you! I'm going over Emily's for a while. She lives 10 minutes away from here. And Ziva and Tony won't even be back until like, 10 PM," Lexi hissed.

"But, Lexi. You'll get in trouble," Kirsten remarked.

"If I get caught. And if they do ask questions, I'm counting on you to back me up," Lexi responded, slipping her feet into flip flops.

"See ya!" Lexi sang, silently slipping out the front door.

Kirsten exasperatedly gazed up at the ceiling, as if if would give her answers. It didn't, of course. She didn't think that anyone had the answer for Lexi's insanity.

~*~NCIS~*~

9 PM...

Kirsten jolted awake from her nap. She looked around the living room, only to find that it was only Sarah, still snoozing soundly. Kirsten's eye widened when she remembered that Lexi had snuck out.

Kirsten jumped up and ran to their room, hoping to see Lexi on the bed either sleeping, or playing on her phone as usual. She was disappointed, however, when she was greeted by the lonely sounds of silence, instead of the sound of her cousin giggling or snoring.

What made this situation worse, was the inevitable sound of a key being pushed into the lock, and the door opening. Kirsten turned out the room light and walked out into the hallway.

"Hey, Kit," Tony greeted, setting his stuff down next to Ziva's.

"H-hi, Tony, Ziva," Kirsten replied, trying to keep the nervousness from her voice.

"Where are Sarah and Lexi?" Ziva inquired.

Kirsten's eyes widened slightly. "Oh! Uh, Sarah is sleeping," she said, a nervous smile on her face.

Ziva nodded. "And Lexi?"

"She's...around," Kirsten mumbled.

Tony narrowed his eyes at her vague answer. He then walked past them to look into the living room and kitchen, then returned and entered their bedroom. Her flicked on the light and looked around once more. Tony turned to face Kirsten and crossed his arms, a stern expression on his face.

"Where is she?" Tony asked, his voice a low whisper.

~*~NCIS~*~

**SO sorry for the delay. Life is really making things difficult. Plus, writer's block was a problem. But yes, Lexi snuck out! I am currently working on a new story, probably only 5 or 6 chapters, and this one will contain the usual characters, minus Kirsten and Kate, since it's not easy to make so many characters work in all of my fanfics. The story takes place in present time, but without the wedding and Kate and Kirsten...if that makes sense? I dunno, haha. It'll be pretty angsty, which is different from my usual, you'll see. Enough of my babbling! Thanks for your support!**

**-Ally :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, so I'm back. I hope you're enjoying Fight For You! To the reviewer who asked if I was still updating, yes! Of course haha! Just started sophomore year of high school and it's pretty easy. But not too easy though. I won't stop updating completely, but I'll let you all know before I go MIA!**

**(**WARNING** This chapter contains spanking of a minor. Don't like? Turn back now!)**

* * *

Kirsten's gaze was directed to the floor at Ziva and Tony's stern, unwavering glares.

"Well?" Tony snapped.

"She's..um..." Kirsten started, biting her lip nervously. She was caught between telling the truth and hurting Lexi, or lying to protect Lexi and getting into bigger trouble.

"Kirsten, answer us. Where is Lexi?" Ziva ordered.

"I can't tell you," Kirsten whispered.

"And why not?" Tony demanded.

"Because...she told me not to," Kirsten admitted.

"Kit, you won't be in trouble. Just tell us," Tony coaxed gently.

Kirsten sighed. "Alright. She's at Emily Fornell's house," Kirsten confessed.

Tony grabbed his keys and put on his shoes. "I'll be back in a moment," he grumbled before leaving.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Ziva, I just-"

"It is okay, Kit. It is a lot of pressure to cover for someone, I know. You feel that by telling the truth, you hurt that person. But in reality, it is just hurting yourself if you lie," Ziva interrupted gently.

Kirsten nodded, glad that Ziva understood. Now, Kirsten felt angry at Lexi. She couldn't understand why her cousin craved mischief, constantly getting into trouble all the time. Then she dragged her into it. Kirsten normally wasn't a fighter or the violent type, but at that moment, she wanted to kick Lexi's ass. After Tony or Ziva did first.

~*~NCIS~*~

Tony strode purposefully out of his car and to Fornell's front porch. He angry knocked on the door and stepped back. None other than Fornell answered the door.

"Ah, Dinutso. Missing something?" Fornell asked in amusement.

"No, Fornell. I just came to compliment the tulips. Is Lexi here?" Tony retorted irritatedly.

"In Em's room," Fornell directed, letting Tony inside.

Tony walked up the stairs until he got to Emily's room. He was about to knock on the door when Emily opened if.

"Oh. Hi, Tony," Emily greeted.

"Hey, Em. Where's Lexi?" Tony inquired.

"Bathroom," Emily replied, pointing to a door across the hall.

"Thanks," Tony answered, turning and walking to the bathroom. Lexi opened the door and paled when she saw him.

"What's the matter?" Tony growled. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Tony, I-"

"Save it. I've had enough," Tony cut her off. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the front door.

"Thanks, Fornell," Tony called out. Closing the door, Tony continued to pull Lexi to his car.

"Tony, come on! Hear me out!" Lexi protested. Tony let her arm go and turned to face her.

"Why should I? So you can tell me how sorry you are and that you'll never do it again? That I shouldn't go to Gibbs and Jenny? That it wasn't your fault that you were bored and just wanted some excitement?" Tony shouted.

Lexi looked down and shrugged. "Well when you put it that way..."

Tony shook his head incredulously and got into the car. Lexi climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up.

"So, wait in your room for Ziva?" Lexi asked casually.

Tony thought about that sentence for a moment before taking a deep breath. "No. Wait in our room for me, Lexi," he replied.

Lexi gaped at him in shock. "What?"

"You heard me, Alexia. When we get in, you wait in that room for me," Tony repeated firmly.

Lexi scoffed. "So what? You can give me an lecture?"

"No, I'm going to give you something that I should have a long time ago," Tony growled, turning into the parking lot.

"You can't be serious," Lexi hissed.

"I'm dead serious, Lexi. I'm not the pushover you thought I was," Tony remarked, getting out and closing his door. Lexi stayed put. Tony opened her door.

"Let's go," Tony barked.

"Nah, I think I'll stay here," Lexi replied casually.

"You want me to get Ziva? Because she will definitely show how upset she is with you real quick," Tony threatened.

"You wouldn't," Lexi growled, narrowing her eyes.

"There's a lot of things you think I wouldn't do. But I wouldn't try me if I were you, Lexi," Tony hissed.

Lexi's eyes widened. This new attitude was nothing like the Tony she knew. The sternness was unreal to her. This was even more surprising than Tim being angry.

Lexi huffed and exited the car, not before slamming his car door. Tony turned to her and glared.

"Very thin ice. One more step and you'll regret it."

For once, Lexi didn't say another word. Lexi stomped ahead of him up the stairs to the apartment, and walked through the door.

"Lexi!" Ziva scolded as soon as she stepped foot in the apartment.

'Great, as soon as I walk in, I get yelled at...' Lexi grumbled mentally.

"Where were you, young lady?" Ziva demanded.

"At Emily Fornell's house."

"After I told you to stay in the apartment? You directly ignored my instructions!"

"It's not like I went far," Lexi protested.

"I do not care whether it was near or far. You do not know how upset I am with you right now," Ziva snapped.

"It's not my fault you decided to come home early," Lexi retorted.

Ziva abruptly grabbed Lexi's arm, pulled her close to her and placed a very hard swat to her backside.

"Oww!" Lexi whimpered, shocked that Ziva really smacked her.

Lexi could detect some force behind that swat. Even through her jeans, it brought tears to her eyes.

"I see you've managed to piss off Ziva already," Tony remarked dryly.

Lexi glared at both of them, her hands rubbing the place where Ziva smacked her. "Go into our room and wait, Lexi," Tony ordered.

Lexi jutted out her chin and stubbornly stood her ground. "NOW!" Tony thundered.

Lexi quickly turned and power walked it to the room and slammed the door. Tony groaned slightly.

"What are you going to do with her, Tony?" Ziva asked.

Tony took a deep breath. "Something I should have done a long time ago. She had this coming, and she's going to take me seriously from now on," he replied seriously.

Ziva kissed his cheek. "Be strong, Tony," she whispered, turning away.

Tony sighed then made his way to their bedroom. He opened the door and saw Lexi lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Tony closed the door behind him and Lexi sat up.

"Tony, I just want you to know that I didn't mean to sneak out," she piped up.

"Really. Why did you?" Tony inquired quietly.

"Huh?" Lexi asked, off guard that Tony really gave her the chance to explain herself. She hadn't really thought of the real reason.

"Why'd you do it? You knew you'd get caught. You knew it was wrong. But why did you sneak out knowing that it was the wrong thing to do? It wasn't just for the excitement."

Lexi bit her lip and looked down. "I don't know. I guess I was just testing the waters with you a bit..." Lexi shrugged.

"No, you were testing the waters with me a lot," Tony commented.

"I guess that I thought you wouldn't really do anything," Lexi sighed.

"Now what do you think I'm gonna do?" Tony asked, crossing his arms.

"Maybe let me off with a very stern warning and reprimand knowing that I've learned my lesson and we all can put this behind us?" Lexi suggested with a hopeful smile.

Tony chuckled humorlessly. "Heh, nope. Not a chance. I may not be Gibbs, or your mother, but it's about time I stepped up as not only your older brother, but your guardian as well," he replied.

"You aren't still gonna-"

"Ohh yeah. I am. In fact, I think that we should get it over with right now," Tony interjected, sitting down on the bed. Lexi stood up.

"You know, Tony. I think we should all just hit the hay. I mean, you've had such a busy day at work and all, and you probably don't really have much energy and-"

"Lexi."

"Yeah?"

"Stalling is not going to help you here," Tony answered.

Lexi's shoulders dropped in defeat and she sighed. "Tony, please don't spank me, I've learned my lesson!" she pleaded.

"Alexia Marie Shepard-Gibbs, get over my lap right now. You aren't making this any easier for any of us. Don't make me get Ziva's wooden spoon," Tony snapped.

"Why can't Ziva spank me instead?" Lexi asked desperately.

"Nope, you aren't getting off that easy," Tony replied sharply. "Now are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Lexi huffed and crossed her arms firmly in front of her in a pout, not moving. "Fine. You want it the hard way, you get it the hard way," Tony growled, grasping her arm and pulling her over his lap.

"Let me go, Tony! I'm serious!" Lexi yelled.

"Yeah? Well so am I," Tony retorted, raising his hand.

SMACK!

Lexi gasped, then began to struggle and kick in an attempt to make him stop. "Argh! Tony! Stop!" Lexi grunted as Tony continued to cover her backside with hard swats.

"This SMACK! is long SMACK! overdue SMACK! Lexi. SMACK! SMACK! You've had this SMACK! coming SMACK! for a long SMACK! SMACK! time now," Tony lectured, not missing a beat.

Each of his spanks felt like Abby's, Tim's, and Ziva's put together in her opinion, but Lexi was determined not to show that she was in pain. "You've got to-ah!-Do better than, argh, that, Dinozzo!" Lexi challenged through gritted teeth.

Tony shook his head. "Oh trust me, we are not finished here," Tony commented, pausing finally.

Lexi felt Tonys hand grasp the waistband of her jean shorts and tug them down to her knee hollows, and she gasped sharply. "Tony!" she squeaked in protest, reaching back to pull them up. Tony gently held her wrist to the small of her back and continued.

Lexi inhaled sharply at the volley of smacks that continued to assault her now burning backside. Tony raised his left knee to target Lexi's sit spots, causing Lexi to cry out.

Tony took this time to lecture once more, slowing down the punishment. "Are you going to sneak out again, Alexia?"

Lexi shook her head frantically, her curls flying. "No! I-I promise!" she cried.

"You gonna disrespect me or any adult for the rest of the time you're here?" Tony continued, smacking her harder.

"No! I won't, I swear!" Lexi promised desperately. Tony finished the spanking with smacks to her thighs, making Lexi sob openly.

Tony stopped and let her up, pulling up her shorts. Lexi cried into Tony chest, with him running his fingers through her hair and he kissed the top of her head.

"You're okay, little sister," Tony soothed. He kissed her forehead once more and set her to stand.

"T-Tony?" Lexi sniffled.

"Yes, Lexi?" Tony sighed.

"You aren't going to tell my mom and Gibbs, are you?" Lexi whimpered.

Tony crossed his arms. "And what makes you think I shouldn't?"

"Tony, come on," Lexi begged, shaking her head.

"No, Lexi! You do this all the time. Misbehave like a naughty 8 year old, get punished and then expect us not to go to Gibbs and Jen. Not this time," Tony growled, turning towards the door.

"Tony, wait!" Lexi shouted. Tony stopped walking.

"I'm serious this time. I'm really sorry for everything. But just hear me out. Mom just adopted me, and shortly after, she leaves off for a 10 day honeymoon. How do you think I feel? I finally got a mom who cares about me and then we spend no time together and she just leaves, temporarily. If you go and tell them, you'll not only disturb their honeymoon, but disappoint Gibbs and Mom, too. I'm used to it with Gibbs, but not with Mom. She's the last person that I ever want to disappoint, because she doesn't deserve it, but I keep screwing up every time. I have never had a Mom that cared before her, and I'm really trying to keep my attitude in check. But I just miss her, Tony..." Lexi's voice cracked at the last sentence.

Tony realized that her actions weren't just random, it came out of yearning for her mother. "Lexi-"

"No, Tony let me finish. I know it's your job to go report anything to my parents, but I need you to understand that hearing the disappointment in my mother's voice and actually feeling Gibbs' glare through the phone will hurt me more than you know. I'm sorry you had to punish me tonight, but I'm glad you cared enough to do it. So I'm begging you, please just understand as my older brother, not my responsible guardian. Don't tell my parents," Lexi finished, tears running down her cheeks.

Tony stared at her in slight shock. He had no idea that Lexi felt this way. Sure, she missed her parents, but this was a lot deeper than that. "Alright," Tony answered quietly.

"But just know that-"

"I know. I won't, I promise," Lexi cut him off, nodding seriously.

"Alright. Bring it here," Tony whispered, beckoning her to him.

Lexi immediately went into them, grateful for the comfort. Tony sighed as he felt his phone vibrate, taking a moment to snake his hand down into his pants pocket and pull out his phone.

"Hello?" Tony answered. He turned to Lexi and held the phone towards her. "It's Gibbs."

Lexi took the phone and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

_"Hey, Lex," Gibbs greeted softly._

"Hi, Gibbs," Lexi replied, grinning happily. "How's Paris?"

_"Beautiful as usual. It would be a lot better with you here," Gibbs responded._

"Really?" Lexi asked in disbelief.

_"Oh yeah. We miss you, honey. Especially your mother," Gibbs stated sincerely._

Lexi beamed at the words 'your mother'. She couldn't get enough of it. "Is-is she there?"

_"Yeah, right here," Gibbs replied. _

There was a slight shift in movement before Jen answered._ "Hello?"_

"Mom?" Lexi said.

_"Hey, Lexi girl," Jen greeted._

"How's the city of love? Is it fabulous?" Lexi asked half-heartedly.

_"It's wonderful. But we are missing you everyday," Jen told her._

Lexi smiled slightly, tears dripping from her eyes. "I-I miss you too, Mom," she whispered.

Jen detected the sadness in Lexi's voice. _"Don't cry, Lexibear. We will be back so much sooner than you think," Jen soothed_.

Lexi sniffled. "Really?"

_"Really. Have you been good so far?" Jen inquired_.

"Yeah, she's been great, Jen," Tony cut in before Lexi could answer.

_"Well that's great, sweetie. I'm proud of you," Jen praised_. Lexi grinned widely at the praise and Tony winked.

"I miss you both so much, Mommy," Lexi's voice cracked.

_"Not as much as we miss you, my baby. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Lexi girl. We love you so much and we have a surprise for you soon," Jen responded._

"I love you guys, too," Lexi sniffled.

_"Alright, honey. Talk to you soon," Jen remarked._

_"Bye, Lex. We love you," Gibbs added._

"Bye," Lexi choked out. The call ended and she just stared at the phone in her hands. Tony took the phone and gathered her in a tight hug as Lexi sobbed into his shirt. Tony lifted her up and carried her to his bed, placing her down gently with a kiss to her forehead.

"You'll be alright, Lex," Tony whispered, turning out the light and leaving the room.

~*~NCIS~*~

So, I started school recently and that's why I haven't updated. Plus volleyball is really testing out my self confidence which is pretty low. 5 hours of sleep a night plus tons of homework is getting to me. And updates won't be too often since I'm preparing to move to a new house, so everything is really hectic. But I will still be updating Fight For You so be patient! Thanks for reading!

-Ally :)


	5. Chapter 5

3 days later...

It had been a week since Jen and Gibbs left for Paris for their honeymoon, leaving Lexi with Tony and Ziva. Lexi was not her normal bubbly, sarcastic self since her talk with Tony. She was more quiet, and distant, clinging to Ziva mostly for comfort. Kirsten had to return with her mother because Kate's sister, Rachel, had come to town.

"Lexi, do you want to watch a movie with me?" Ziva called out.

"Sure, what movie?" Lexi answered quietly.

"Forrest Gump," Ziva replied, knowing that it was her all time favorite film. Lexi just nodded and sat next to Ziva, laying her head on her chest while Ziva stroked her hair. Tony sat on the other side of Ziva.

In the middle of the film, there was a loud knock on the door. Ziva kissed Lexi's forehead before getting up to open the door. Lexi inched closer to Tony and rested her head on his chest. Ziva popped her head in the doorway and grinned.

"Lexi, there is someone at the door for you," she commented.

Lexi gazed up at Tony with confusion. Tony shrugged and gave Ziva the same look. Ziva just motioned for Lexi to open the door, the grin still on her face. Lexi slowly got up and opened the door skeptically. She gasped deeply, tears forming in her eyes.

"Bring it here, Champ."

"Dad!" Lexi yelled, hugging him tightly. Gibbs chuckled and held her in his arms for a moment.

"I've missed you, Lex," Gibbs stated sincerely.

"I've missed you too, Dad," Lexi replied. She decided to call him 'Dad' now, since he had been in her life for a long time. It was about time, but she just couldn't get over her father's death.

Lexi stepped back, and then was suddenly hugged from behind. Lexi turned in surprise and gaped. "MOM!" she exclaimed, before bursting into sobs.

Jen effortlessly picked Lexi up and held her tightly as she cried into her shoulder, Lexi's arms around her neck. Tony and Ziva stood by the doorway, smiling at the heartwarming scene before them.

Lexi lifted her head to look at Jen. "Y-you came back early," she sniffled.

"Yes, sweetie, we did. We couldn't spend a full 10 days without our Lexibear. We missed you way too much," Jen replied.

"I missed you, too, Mommy," Lexi whispered.

Gibbs squeezed Tony's shoulder and kissed Ziva's forehead. "Good job," he said.

"It was no problem," Ziva replied.

"Anytime, Boss," Tony added.

Lexi went over and hugged both Tony and Ziva. "Thank you guys for having me. I love you both so much. It was fun," Lexi stated.

"It was awesome having you, Lexi," Tony replied, kissing the top of her head. Ziva followed and pinched her nose.

"It was very fun having you here, little sister," Ziva responded.

"If you're ready-" Jen started, before Lexi raced past Tony and Ziva back into the apartment.

"Okay then," Gibbs chuckled.

~*~NCIS~*~

"So, how was Paris? Was it _fantastique_?" Lexi inquired. Jen sat next to her on the couch, two steaming mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table in front of them.

"Yes, it was _tré belle,_" Jen chuckled. "How was Tony and Ziva's?"

"Good," Lexi replied simply.

"Hm. So what was it that I heard about you sneaking off to Emily Fornell's while they were gone, hm?" Jen inquired, crossing her arms with an unreadable expression.

Lexi's eyes widened. "I-I..."

"Well?"

"Mom, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, because I missed you and I was angry that you left and I just lashed out. I'm sorry for disappointing you yet again. Maybe you shouldn't have adopted me in the first place, I can't even stay out of trouble for 5 minutes," Lexi then bursted into tears.

Jen held Lexi close to her and wiped her tears away. "Shh, Lexibear. I'm not angry or disappointed in you at all. You are not a disappointment. I'd be damned if anyone were to say that you're a troublemaker and that it was a mistake to adopt you. I will always love you, honey," she soothed.

"I was just so worried that I disappointed you. Since I do it all the time," Lexi whispered.

"You don't do it intentionally. Everyone makes mistakes," Jen replied. "Now, I have a bit of a surprise for you."

"Really?"

"Yes. Your father and I are in the process of adopting a child. It's been about 4 months," Jen answered, grinning and waiting for Lexi's reaction.

"Oh my gosh, really? I've always wanted a little sibling! Not a baby, right?" Lexi remarked.

"No, it's not a baby. It's a boy named Jude, and he is turning 12 soon. The adoption process is actually just about finished," Jen stated.

"Thats so cool! I'm all for it," Lexi beamed. Jen smiled and tucked a curl behind her ear, then kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad you like the idea. You will make a very good big sister," Jen commented.

"I'm glad you didn't adopt a little girl that's like, 7 years old because they're really bratty," Lexi chuckled.

"True. We've already met Jude, and he's a very sweet, shy, and nice little boy. I think you will love him, and he will definitely love you," Jen said.

"I hope so. When can I visit him?" Lexi asked.

"In about two weeks or so. Then we need to finish the last of the paperwork, enroll him in school, get his room finished, then he's good to go," Jen explained.

"I can't wait. I've never had a sibling before," Lexi remarked. "I was meaning to ask, why did you come home early?"

Jen sighed. "We couldn't spend 10 full days without you. We missed you too much," Jen replied.

Lexi grinned and rested her head on Jen's shoulder. "I'm glad you did."

"How about we both go out and have lunch and get mani-pedis?" Jen suggested.

"I'm in! Maybe when Jude gets here, he can keep Gibbs company," Lexi said, getting up to put on her shoes.

Jen chuckled. "I think so, too. He seemed to take a liking to Jethro. When he was told that Jethro was a Marine, his eyes lit up in admiration."

"He'll love you too, Mom," Lexi stated.

"He seemed to like me also. I heard him ask Jethro if I were his girlfriend, and Jethro answered that I was his fiancé. And then Jude said that I was pretty," Jen laughed.

"Aww, he is a sweet kid," Lexi remarked.

"Yes, and I'm sure that he won't be bratty," Jen answered.

"Fingers crossed. Shall we go?"

"We shall," Jen replied, picking up her purse and the car keys.

"Can I drive?" Lexi asked hopefully

"Not a chance," Jen dismissed.

"A girl can only dream," Lexi groaned.

~*~NCIS~*~

**So yeah, this was short. Sorry, I ran out of ideas. Next one will skip to when we officially meet the new member of the Gibbs family. Not really sure how the whole adoption process works, but I'll do my best. Btw, Jude is based off of a character on the show The Fosters, so if you've ever seen the show, that's what this Jude will look and act like. Just using him for my own personal use haha.**

**-Ally :)**


	6. Chapter 6

3 weeks later...

Jude Collins laid on his bed playing his Gameboy. It he was a lot better by himself than with the other kids. As word got out that he was getting adopted, he became the victim of teasing. Mostly out of jealousy, the older kids would jeer and harass him, shoving him and calling him names. He didn't let it bother him. He was too caught up in the excitement of finally getting adopted.

"Jude?"

Jude looked up to see his social worker, Andrea, at the door. "Are you ready? Your new family is in the lobby," she stated.

Jude closed the Gameboy and got up from the bed. He grabbed his suitcase filled with old clothes and things that he'd kept. As he walked out, he caught sight of some of the other kids gawking, glaring and gaping at him. He just smirked and continued to walk to the front entrance.

Once he got there, he saw a gruff, steely eyed silver haired man, accompanied by a shorter redheaded woman at the front desk. He grinned. They were really nice and he was glad that they were adopting him. After meeting them a few months back, along with the visits, he came to like them even more. They turned away from the desk and smiled.

"Hello, Jude," Jen greeted. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jude replied politely.

"What a polite little gentleman you are, honey. Jethro should take notes," Jen joked. Gibbs glared slightly at her and rolled his eyes. Jude scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Um, where's Lexi?" Jude asked, looking around for the teen that was to be his older sibling.

"Lexi is at volleyball camp. She'll be back tomorrow actually. You'll meet her then," Gibbs explained.

"Oh, okay," Jude replied.

"Until then, we should get going. Your paperwork and things are all set now, Mr. Gibbs," Jen remarked, ruffling his hair softly.

Jude grinned. "Is that my name now?"

"Yep. We just need to get your new birth certificate from the courthouse in about a month or so and it will be official," Gibbs responded, taking his suitcase and bringing it with him to the car.

After getting into the car, Jude sat quietly, playing his Gameboy once again. Jen turned to him. "Jude, sweetie, are you hungry?" she inquired softly.

Jude looked up from his game and hesitated. "Um...a little," he meekly answered.

"Do you want Wendy's?" Jen asked.

Jude nodded. "Yes, please."

Gibbs turned into the drive-through for Wendy's, then bought him a burger, fries and a sprite.

"Thank you," he said, gratefully accepting the food.

"You're welcome, Bud," Gibbs answered.

Soon, they arrived at their house. Jude walked into the house in awe. "Wow, this is your house? It's awesome!"

"It's your house now too, sweetie," Jen chuckled, stroking his cheek lovingly.

A bark startled Jude. A medium sized German Shepard came barreling towards him. Jude froze as the dog sniffed him for a moment before licking his hand in acceptance.

"Forgot to tell you, we have a dog, his name is TJ. Don't worry, he's harmless, and I think he likes you," Gibbs remarked.

Jude hesitantly petted TJ, and TJ nuzzled his hand in reply. "I like him," he chuckled.

"I'm glad, sweetie. Now why don't you eat, and then we can show you your new room?" Jen chuckled,

Jude excitedly nodded and ate his food. When he was finished, Jen took his hand and guided Jude upstairs to his new room. His room was two doors to the right of Lexi's and had a sign with his name in big blue block letters on the door.

"You ready?" Jen asked.

Jude nodded. Gibbs opened the door to reveal the inside. Jude gasped. The walls were painted a royal blue color, with a black wood bedroom set and light blue sheets on the bed. A desk the same color as the bedroom set was at the far side of the room and a bookshelf filled with storybooks stood next to it. A TV set was against the front wall with a small shelf that had a play station 3 and a collection of video games and movies. His closet was filled with clothes and shoes his size.

"This is epic! Thank you so much!" Jude enthused, his face lighting up.

"Glad you like it, Buddy. The team helped out too," Gibbs chuckled.

"The team?" Jude inquired.

"Yes, my team. The ones that we work with at NCIS but Lexi looks at them more like older brothers and sisters. They are like sons and daughters to us, and I think you'll love them very much," Gibbs answered.

Jude nodded. "Um...can I ask you a question?" he asked nervously.

"Of course, honey. You can ask us anything," Jen responded.

"Well...do you think that Lexi will like me?"

"Why wouldn't she, sweetie?" Jen inquired in confusion.

Jude shrugged. "I dunno. In my last foster homes, the older kids didn't like me very much when I first got there."

"Of course she'll like you. She can be a bit difficult at times, but for the most part she's very sweet and humorous. I think you'll like her too. She has an endless string of jokes and is fluent in the language of sarcasm. You'll be entertained, that's for sure," Gibbs assured him, gently squeezing his shoulder.

"I'm glad you adopted me," Jude replied, wrapping his arms around Jen's waist.

"We are too, baby. We loved you from the moment we saw you. The rest of the family will adore you. Lexi will definitely fall in love with you immediately. Just know that we are here for you and you shouldn't be afraid to come to us for anything at all. Okay?" Jen answered, lovingly running her fingers through his soft brown hair.

"Okay. Can I watch TV?" Jude asked.

"Go right ahead, Jude," Gibbs said, handing him the remote from the dresser drawer. Jude grinned and took it, turning the TV on and flipping to Nickelodeon. He sat carefully on his bed, not wanting to mess up the sheets.

"Call us if you need anything, sweetie," Jen told him.

"I will," Jude stated, not taking his eyes from the screen. Jen planted a kiss to his forehead and Gibbs ruffled his hair playfully, before walking out.

"The team is going to love him immediately. Especially Tim, since Jude likes technology," Jen commented.

"I agree. Abby, Ziva and Kate will definitely hug, kiss and pinch him near to death. Tony will probably get him obsessed with old movies, and Jude will love Ducky's stories," Gibbs agreed.

Jen put her arms around Gibbs and rested her head on his chest. "He is perfect. Our family is complete," she whispered.

"I agree. Now I won't be outnumbered," Gibbs replied, kissing the top of her head.

"Now you have someone to help sand your boat," Jen laughed.

"And someone to help overthrow you two," Gibbs replied.

"Ha! I'd like to see you try. I have Abby to hide the evidence, Ziva to do the dirty work, Kate to outsmart you, and Kit and Lexi to help," Jen retorted.

"We'll see," Gibbs chuckled, planting a kiss to her lips.

~*~NCIS~*~

The next day...

Lexi walked in her house, followed by Abby, both clutching matching Caf-Pow!s. Lexi set her sports duffel down with a relieved sigh.

"I'm home! What's for dinner?" Lexi called out, walking into the kitchen.

"Lexibear!" Jen greeted, taking Lexi in for a tight hug.

"Ugh I missed your hugs so much, Mom. I'm finally back from that volleyball boot camp. It was crazy! No phones, no junk food, and there was a power outage for two days! Ever shaved your legs in a sink?" Lexi groaned.

"I'm not sure if I have. But I'm glad you had fun," Jen laughed. "Thanks, Abby for picking her up from camp."

"Not a problem," Abby replied.

"I'm just glad to be home. So what's new?" Lexi inquired.

"Well, I believe that there is someone for both of you to meet," Jen remarked. She took Lexi and Abby upstairs and stopped at Jude's door. She knocked softly.

"Jude?" Jen called.

"Come in," came the soft answer. Jen opened the door, then placed a hand on Lexi's shoulder, guiding her inside.

"There's someone that you should meet," Jen remarked.

Lexi smiled at the young boy. She noticed that he was rather small, a head shorter than her. He had wavy brown hair, and piercing green eyes filled with trust.

"Hey, I'm Lexi," Lexi introduced.

"I'm Jude," Jude answered softly.

"Looks like I have a new little brother. You'll just love our family, I promise. I've been waiting to finally meet you," Lexi said whole-heartedly.

Jude beamed. "Thanks. I've been waiting to meet you too."

"What's that you got there?" Lexi inquired, motioning to his game console.

"Little Big Planet," Jude answered.

"You're a gamer?" Lexi asked.

"A little," Jude mumbled shyly.

"Heh, our older brother, Tim, will love you,. He's a total tech geek," Lexi chuckled. "Well, it was nice to meet ya, Jude. I need a real shower that has actual hot water."

Lexi turned to leave, when Abby barreled past her. "Is this him!? Oh my god he is the cutest little thing!" she squealed, giving him a bone-crushing hug.

"This is Abby, our older sister. She likes hugs," Lexi giggled.

"Abs, I think that's enough, he can't breathe," Jen stated in amusement.

"Sorry," Abby apologized, releasing the boy. The color returned to Jude's face as he caught his breath once more. Lexi left the room to take a shower.

"It's okay. It's really nice to meet you, Abby," Jude commented.

"You too, Jude. Maybe one day I can show you my lab when you come to NCIS," Abby stated.

"I'd like that!" Jude enthused.

"Good. Well I have to leave now. I'll be back soon, though. Take care, baby brother!" Abby said, kissing the top of Jude's head.

When she left, Jen turned to Jude. "Hey, how about you and I go and make dinner together? I'm making three-cheese lasagna," Jen suggested.

Jude grinned and nodded. "Okay!"

Jen took his hand and they both went down to the kitchen to get dinner started. Jen showed Jude how to grate the different cheeses and mix them in a bowl, then to layer the meat, pasta and cheese in the pan. When Jen put the pan in the oven, she turned to Jude with a grin.

"And we're finished! You're a great help in the kitchen, sweetie," Jen remarked.

"Thanks!" Jude replied.

"What do you think of Lexi?" Jen inquired.

"I like her, she seems nice," Jude answered.

"Lexi has her moments when she isn't exactly the easiest person to deal with. But she is a very good person with a big heart. She will adore you, I promise," Jen explained.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Jen replied.

"Is it okay...if I called you Mom?" Jude asked nervously. He slowly gazed up at Jen's face to see tears in her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry! If you don't want me to call you that I won't. I didn't mean to make you cry..." Jude gasped, panicked that he had upset her.

"No sweetie, these are tears of joy. I'm touched that you want to call me Mom. I thought that you would wait until later," Jen assured.

"No. You remind me of my birth mom. I don't really remember her all that well, but I do remember that she had red hair and a soft voice just like you. So I wanted to call you Mom before but I didn't know if you wanted me to."

"Well, I am extremely happy to have a little boy to call me Mom. Don't do anything you aren't comfortable doing. I won't rush you or force you to do anything. I want you to be happy."

"I am happy. I want to call you guys Mom and Dad because I've never actually had one, and if I did, they would be like you."

"It warms my heart to know that you feel that way, Jude. I love you and Lexi both with everything that I have."

"I love you too, Mom."

Jen smiled and kissed his forehead. "And don't worry about Lexi. She will warm up to you eventually. Okay?"

Jude nodded. "I understand."

Jen ran her fingers through his hair. "Just give it time, sweetie."

~*~NCIS~*~

Jude laid on the living room couch the next afternoon, playing his Gameboy, when he heard the sound of an argument in progress.

"But Mom!"

"No buts, young lady!"

"That's not fair! Why can't I go to the movies with Katie and Emlly?"

"Because I said so!"

"That's not even a legit reason!"

"It's legit enough for me. You just got back from camp, and your brother just got-"

"Whoa whoa _whoa_. Wait a second. You're really stopping me from going out with my friends just because he just got here? Are you kidding me!? What does that have to do with me!?"

Jude winced at the tone that Lexi had with Jen, but also at the fact that he was the reason she couldn't go out with her friends.

"Watch your tone, Alexia. I said no, and that is final!"

"Ugh, you are impossible! Why do you have to be so complicated?"

Jude heard heavy, anger filled footsteps next.

"Don't you walk away from me when I am speaking with you, Missy!"

"Leave me alone."

"Alexia Marie, get back here **now!**"

Jude sucked in a breath at the loud yell. Jen was so nice and soft spoken, but hearing her stern, authoritative tone made him very cautious of angering her. What Jude heard next shocked him even further.

**SMACK! SMACK!**

"Agh!"

"That was for your disrespect. I ought to give you more than that, but the team will be here soon and I have to run to the grocery store for 5 minutes to some lettuce and carrots. Watch your brother, I'll be right back."

'Oh great...' Jude thought to himself with a sigh.

Jen walked in suddenly, her angry expression softened at seeing the wide eyed look on Jude's face. She stroked his cheek softly. "I'll be right back, honey."

"You're leaving?" Jude asked in a small voice.

"Only for about five minutes, Jude. Your sister is here, so you won't be alone," Jen replied.

"Okay," Jude replied with a sigh. Jen placed a kiss to his forehead, before grabbing her purse and car keys and leaving.

Lexi walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She noticed Jude eyeing her from the living room and scowled.

"What?"

Jude gulped. "I...um, I wanted to say sorry. It's my fault that you couldn't go to the movies-"

"Lets not state the obvious here. Just leave me alone and stay out of my way. Got it?" Lexi interrupted in a biting tone.

"But-"

"_Look_. I'm the older one here and what I say goes. I don't want some brat in my way ruining my freedom. Comprende?"

Jude nodded quickly. Lexi rolled her eyes and walked back up to her room, leaving Jude to stand with tears pooling in his eyes.

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi hadn't really meant to say that to Jude. She was just angry, and needed an outlet. Seeing the hurt look on his face and the tears in his eyes made Lexi feel like a total jerk. She liked Jude, he seemed like a genuinely nice kid. He didn't deserve that at all,

"Ughh..." Lexi groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Why am I such an ass...I probably should count my lucky stars that Mom and Dad didn't adopt a little Devil Diva. Jude didn't deserve that..." she spoke aloud to TJ, who sat watching her.

"What do you think I should do, boy?" Lexi asked the German Shepard. TJ tilted his head and wagged his tail.

"You wouldn't reply anyway. I should probably just-"

CRASH!

"What the hell?" Lexi grumbled. She heard rapid footsteps up the stairs and Jude's door slamming shut.

Lexi hurriedly trudged downstairs to find one of Jen's dishes shattered on the kitchen tiles. She sighed and ran upstairs to Jude's room. She knocked on the door.

"Jude?"

No answer.

Lexi opened the door and looked around. No sign of him anywhere. She looked in the closet, still no Jude. Lexi was about to turn around and walk out when she heard a sneeze from under Jude's bed.

Lexi knelt down and peeked under the bed to see the petrified, tear stained face of Jude. "Jude, what are you doing?"

"Hiding..."

"Why are you hiding?"

"Why do you care? I'm staying out of your way. Isn't that what you want?" Jude sniffled with a small scowl.

Lexi sighed and shook her head. "No...it isn't. Jude, I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to say that to you and you didn't deserve it. I'm really glad you're here and I'm elated at having a little brother. I was just being a bitch. Do you forgive me?" Lexi said sincerely.

Jude nodded. "Yeah, I forgive you."

"Good. Now why are you under here?"

"...I broke that dish..."

"I know. That still doesn't explain why you're hiding and who from."

Jude sniffled. "What if Mom gets mad at me for breaking her dish? Then what if she sends me back to the orphanage?"

"Aw, Jude. Mom is not gonna be mad. It was one dish, and I'm sure that it wasn't on purpose. And she would never send you back. The worst that she will do to you is spank you, but that's about it," Lexi reassured him.

"She will spank me?" Jude asked in surprise.

"That's only if you do something really bad. Stuff like, being rude, swearing, disobeying, putting yourself in danger, lying, cheating, and stealing to name a few," Lexi answered.

"Does...she spank hard?"

"Very. It's something to avoid at all costs. But she definitely won't for this. It was on accident, she'll understand."

"Okay..."

Jude hesitantly crawled out from under the bed, and Lexi helped him up. She hugged him tightly.

"Just come to me next time. I'm here for you, always," Lexi promised.

"I will," Jude answered, hugging her back.

"Now, let's go and clean up that glass," Lexi stated.

Lexi and Jude went downstairs to the kitchen. Lexi grabbed the broom and dustpan and they both carefully swept all of the pieces up and threw them in the garbage can.

"Cleaning? Without being told to? The world must be at its end," Jen remarked from behind them.

"Nah, I just broke a dish," Lexi lied casually.

Jen rolled her eyes. "Soon I won't even have any left," Jen chuckled.

"No, I did. It was an accident. Please don't be mad at me," Jude blurted out.

"Oh, sweetie. It's okay, I'm not mad at you. You have no idea how many dishes, glasses and vases that Lexi has broken in the past. It was an accident," Jen said softly, pulling him in for a hug.

"Okay. I hid because I thought that you'd send me back..."

"No, sweetie, that will never ever happen. If I sent my kids back for a minor demeanor, Lexi and the team wouldn't be here. No matter how much trouble any of you cause, it will not change my love for you. Okay?"

"Okay, Mama," Jude whispered, his face buried in Jen's blouse.

"How about we get dinner started?" Jen suggested.

"Sounds good! Is the team still coming?" Lexi inquired.

"Yes, they should be here soon. Let's get cooking," Jen replied.

~*~NCIS~*~

**How do you guys like Jude? I changed his age to 11 btw. Review with your opinions! Hope you liked this!**

**-Ally :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"Jude, this is Evan. Evan, this is Jude."

Lexi, EJ, Jude, and Evan stood outside Lexi's house together. EJ had a younger brother Jude's age, and Lexi and EJ decided to introduce them to each other.

"Hi, I'm Jude," Jude replied quietly.

"I'm, uh, Evan," Evan stated shyly.

"You know that, silly. Get to know each other," Lexi laughed.

Jude gazed at the boy who was a mini version of his older brother. "Uh, do you like video games?"

Evan nodded, his long curls bouncing. "Yeah."

"I've got a few upstairs..." Jude replied.

Evan smiled. "Do you have Call of Duty?"

Jude grinned. "Yeah! Wanna play it together?"

"Sure!" Evan beamed, before both boys ran inside of the house.

EJ ran his hand through his shorter curls and sighed. "It's about time the kid found a friend. Mom has been trying to make him get to know other kids for months."

"Leave him alone, EJ, he's just shy. He's like Jude," Lexi chuckled, nudging his shoulder. "It's been two months since we adopted Jude, and he hasn't gotten in trouble yet."

"Well what do you expect? Not everyone is a daredevil like you," EJ laughed.

"Got that right. He's still really shy. But school is going to start soon and Mom wants Jude to go to St. Andrew's instead of Memorial Middle School."

EJ raised his eyebrows. "How does he feel about that?"

"I've never seen him so mad before. He's afraid of nuns I guess. But I don't blame him. And you know how my mom is, once she decides something, it sticks and there's no changing her mind," Lexi explained.

EJ nodded in agreement. "So what happened?"

"Mom told him that he wouldn't be going to the public school, and he threw a small fit. I had to calm him down before Mom did. I don't blame him, nuns are scary. He's a real spitfire when he wants to be," Lexi answered.

"Wow. Yeah Evan isn't really thrilled to go there either..." EJ stated.

"Well knowing that Evan would be going too would make him want to go more," Lexi commented.

"Yeah you're right," EJ agreed.

"I just hope that he doesn't continue protesting because Mom has had enough," Lexi sighed. "I don't want to see him in trouble."

"I hope so, too. I'll see you later. Thanks for introducing Evan to Jude. I've been worried about Evan since he hasn't really made any friends."

"No problem. Anything for him. I think they'll be great friends," Lexi replied. EJ planted a quick kiss to her lips and gave her a hug.

"I'll go get him," EJ said, smiling. Lexi nodded, smiling like an idiot still after EJ walked away.

~*~NCIS~*~

3 weeks later...

"Jude! We need to leave!" Jen called out.

"Do I have to?" Jude whined.

"Yes, you do! We need to get your uniforms and you have to meet the principal by 4. Let's go!" Jen replied.

Jude groaned and slowly trudged down the stairs, a displeased look on his face. Lexi stood by the banister, looking on in amusement.

"Smile, Judicorn. It won't be that bad," Lexi sang, using her nickname for him.

"Easy for you to say," Jude whined. "Mom, why can't I just stay with Dad-"

"Jude Andrew Gibbs, get in the car, _now_," Jen growled with gritted teeth.

Jude huffed and stomped outside to the car. Jen sighed in exasperation, running a hand through her red locks. Gibbs smirked and planted a kiss to her lips.

"You'll be fine," Gibbs whispered. Jen kissed him back and rolled her eyes.

"I hope so," Jen sighed. She went over to Lexi and kissed her forehead.

"Mom, don't be too hard on him. It's hard for him to understand," Lexi told her.

Jen smiled. "I'll keep that in mind, sweetie."

~*~NCIS~*~

During the drive to the uniform store, it was tensely silent. Jen sighed and gazed at Jude who was staring out of the window, sulking. He refused to talk and Jen didn't force him. He was just like how Lexi was when Jen had first met her. Quiet, shy, and stubborn also.

When they got to the store, Jen turned off the engine and exited the car. Jude stayed put, crossing his arms firmly across his chest.

"Jude, let's go," Jen ordered.

Jude shook his head. Jen scowled and strode over to his side of the car. She opened his door and pointed to the store.

"I don't want to," Jude grumbled.

"Well whether you want to or not, you will. Let's go before I have to do something I don't want to do," Jen growled.

Jude rolled his eyes and got out of the car. Jen shook her head before closing and locking the car door. Once inside of the store, Jen found the section with his school uniforms in it. She picked up three pairs of black pants and three white button-downs with the school logo on the left breast in his size. Along with that, she picked up a royal blue blazer and tie that all of the boys were to wear.

"I don't want to wear this. It's for geeks," Jude whined.

Jen bent down to his size, sternly locking her deep forest green eyes into his.

"You listen to me, and you listen good young man, because my patience is wearing thin. I have had enough of your disobedience and stubbornness. I don't care whether it is for geeks, or the cool kids, you will wear it. You're lucky that I am being extremely lenient with you. This behavior is unacceptable, and I will not stand for it any longer. Keep it up, and you will be sitting on a sore backside. Do I make myself clear, Jude Andrew?" Jen hissed angrily.

Jude sighed. "Yes..."

"Yes what?" Jen snapped.

"Yes, _ma'am_," Jude replied.

"Thank you. Now it's time to check out," Jen answered in satisfaction at his answer. Jude sighed again in defeat. He didn't like that he was upsetting his mother, but he just was in a sour, horrible mood, and her forcing him to go to a private school run by nuns made it no better.

Jen paid for the items and they left the store. Again, Jude was completely silent on the way to the school. When they reached the school, Jen parked the car, turned off the engine, but didn't get out immediately. She turned to face Jude and looked at him intensely. Jude looked back at her in confusion.

"...What?" Jude said.

"I want you to promise me that you won't say or do anything to mess this up," Jen replied calmly.

Jude faked an incredulous look and gasped dramatically. "_Me_?" he gasped.

"I am serious, young man. Don't test me," Jen warned.

Jude smirked and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay..."

Jen got out of the car, Jude following close behind her. They walked inside of the office, where they were met by a tall, kind looking nun.

"Hello, Jennifer. Very nice to see you again. And this must be Jude," the nun greeted in a slightly Irish accent.

Jen pulled Jude out from behind her. "H-hello," Jude whispered.

"Quite a shy one," the nun chuckled softly. "I am Sister Angela, the principal of the school."

"Nice to meet you," Jude mumbled shyly.

"And you, Jude. Why don't we continue in my office?"

Jen nodded and followed Sister Angela to her office. Sister Angela went to her desk and sat behind it while Jude and Jen sat in two chairs next to each other in front of her desk.

She began to ask him questions, like his interests, favorite subjects, if he did sports etc. Jude answered normally, the nervousness slowly dissipating.

"Now, Jude. I just have one question for you," Sister Angela stated.

Jude nodded. "Why is it that you wanted to come here at St. Andrew's?" Sister inquired.

Jude looked at Jen who was giving him the 'don't you dare' glare, before smirking and relaxedly sitting back in his chair.

"Well...that's easy. With all due respect, Sister Angela, I don't want to come here. I never did. I want to go to Memorial Middle like everyone else. Its just because my parents want me to come here, why I'm coming here in the first place. Or else, I wouldn't be here," Jude stated calmly.

Jude learned one thing at that moment.

Jen was very strong.

Jen silently and quickly grabbed Jude's arm in a steel grip, and basically dragged him back to the car. During the icy, tense car ride, Jude couldn't shake the feeling that he royally screwed up.

~*~NCIS~*~

"Ow, ow, ow," Jude grunted as Jen dragged him into the house by his ear.

"Room. Now. _March_," Jen snapped, swatting him once, hard. Jude yelped, running upstairs to his room. Jen huffed in frustration and entered the kitchen where Gibbs sat sipping from a mug of coffee and reading the newspaper. She silently moved to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"What happened, Jen?" Gibbs inquired.

Jen sighed and proceeded to tell him the events of the day. Gibbs sighed.

"I gotta say, he's got guts to test you," Gibbs commented.

"He knew that he was testing the waters. I gave him multiple warnings," Jen replied.

"He basically threw away all chances of going to that school, Jethro. He was disobedient, rude, and just insolent. If it were Lexi, I wouldn't have thought twice about straightening her out," Jen continued.

"What are you going to do?" Gibbs inquired.

"Well, once I'm calm, I'm going to talk to him. I won't go too hard on him," Jen sighed.

"He's a sweet kid. Not sure why he was acting this way," Gibbs remarked.

"Neither am I. I've been extremely patient and lenient with him all day. That was the last straw and he's going to see that being stubborn and rude will not help him any," Jen answered, finishing her coffee and placing the cup in the sink.

~*~NCIS~*~

Jude laid on his bed, hands over his face. He knew that he pushed Jen too far. Why did he have to be so stubborn? She probably hated him. Who could blame her?

His door slammed open, startling Jude. He saw that it was only Lexi and sighed in relief.

"Hey, how did it go?" Lexi asked.

"Terrible. I messed up the interview," Jude groaned.

"What did you say?" Lexi inquired curiously. Jude repeated his earlier words to Lexi. Lexi whistled and raised her eyebrows.

"Wow. You've really done it this time," Lexi chuckled.

"It's not funny, Lex. What if she hates me?" Jude whined.

"Hey, now. Don't say that. Remember what I said before. It doesn't matter if you cause all the trouble in the world, Mom and Dad will always love you no matter what," Lexi assured him.

"Okay...what is she gonna do to me?" Jude asked nervously.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, J. She's gonna give you a good spankin' for this one," Lexi sighed.

"Oh no..." Jude whined.

"Just count your blessings that it's Mom and not Dad," Lexi told him.

At that moment, the door opened. Jen walked in and sighed. "Lexi I need to speak with your brother alone," Jen stated firnly.

Jude shot Lexi a desperate glance. Lexi returned the look with a sympathetic one and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Whatever you do, don't resist or fight it," Lexi whispered, before ruffling his hair and leaving. Jude looked down at his hands.

"Jude," Jen spoke softly.

Jude shook his head, refusing to meet Jen's gaze.

"Jude, look at me," Jen ordered gently.

Jude shook his head again. "I can't..." he replied weakly.

"Why not?"

"B-because you're mad at me," Jude whimpered.

"No, sweetie. I'm not mad," Jen replied.

"You're not?" Jude asked in disbelief.

"No. Just disappointed," Jen sighed.

Jude nodded and went back to gazing at his fingernails. "Your behavior today, it was unacceptable. And quite frankly, it was just not like you. I want to know what was going on."

He sighed. "I dunno...I'm just afraid of nuns, and going to a school filled with them...I couldn't handle it. So I was in a sour mood all day," Jude explained.

"Sweetie, I understand that maybe St. Andrews was not your first choice. But you haven't given it a chance yet. They have your favorite sports, ice hockey and baseball, and Evan will be there, too. And why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I didn't think. I didn't know that Evan would be there too...and I thought it was dumb," Jude admitted.

"No, it's not dumb. Nuns can be scary, yes. But did Sister Angel seem scary?"

"No..."

"Exactly. Now, I hate to do this, but I warned you and it's not okay to act out just because you're in a bad mood," Jen replied.

Jude sighed and nodded. It hurt him to know that he had disappointed Jen, and now he understood that he took it maybe a little too far...

* * *

Lexi walked into Jude's room to see him lying in his bed, quietly sniffling. She walked over and sat next to him, stroking his hair.

"Aw Jude..."

"I feel awful," Jude grumbled.

"Understandable. How bad was it?" Lexi inquired.

"It hurt obviously. But that wasn't what made me feel bad. I...I made her cry," Jude whimpered.

"Oh, Judicorn. I don't think I can count how many times I've made Mom cry when she spanked me. She'll be fine. She won't hold it against you," Lexi comforted.

"I'm so stupid..."

"Jude, let me tell you something. No matter what you do in this family, it won't be held against you. Never. It doesn't matter if you cause all the trouble in the world. You'll get one hell of a spanking, but after everyone will put it past them. And you're not stupid. You made a mistake, you were punished, and you learned from said mistake. You're going to make a lot more yeah, but move on. Okay?" Lexi explained.

Jude nodded. "You're really wise... Like an old person."

"I use really good lotion," Lexi chuckled.

"Lexi?" Jude asked.

"Yeah?"

"You can sing right?"

"Uh huh."

"Can you..."

"Of course. What song?"

"My favorite one?"

"Gotcha. Just lie back," Lexi instructed. Jude laid his head on his pillow as Lexi began to softly sing Pompeii by Bastille, his favorite song to him until he fell asleep. Lexi kissed his head and left his room.

* * *

Jen answered her phone as it began to ring. "Hello?"

Gibbs regarded her curiously. Jen's eyes widened. "Really?" She remarked in disbelief. "Oh my goodness, thank you so much! Okay, I'll see you then. Goodbye."

Jen hung up and looked at Gibbs with a grin. "What happened?"

"That was Sister Angela, and she said that the interview was a success, and that Jude has been accepted," Jen laughed.

"Seriously? After all he said?" Gibbs asked.

"I guess so," Jen sighed in relief. "She said that he was honest and blunt, while still remaining respectful, and she liked that about him."

"He's a good kid," Gibbs chuckled.

"He is. I'm glad I didn't go hard on him. He's such a sweetheart."

"We have two incredible kids," Gibbs commented.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Jen smiled, planting a kiss to Gibbs' lips.

~*~NCIS~*~

Should I end this with an epilogue? Or keep going?

-Ally :)


	8. EPILOGUE

The Wedding: Epilogue

Lexi and Jude were a month into the new school year (September). Lexi was in her sophomore year in high school, Jude was in 6th grade. Jude found that he actually liked his new school, and didn't mind the nuns. With his best friend Evan by his side, everything was falling into place. Lexi was adapting well also. Kirsten and the rest of the group still hung out as usual.

The NCIS family had a number of changes however. Abby was found out to be pregnant. Of course she was afraid to tell Tim at first, but when she did, he was overjoyed and ecstatic at the news. Now 12 weeks along, Abby and Tim were anxious to find out the gender of their baby. Tony and Ziva were in the process of adopting 8 year old twins, Olivia and Charlie. They'd met them both a few times and were excited to adopt them.

Lexi was beginning to go through the rebellious stage however. Her good behavior streak was wavering and it was only matter of time before she returned to her defiant, unruly behavior of the year before...

"Hey Lexi, Emily and I were going to the mall tomorrow, wanna come?" Katie told her.

"Sure, when?" Lexi inquired, finishing her iced tea from her lunch.

"Instead of going to school tomorrow," Katie replied.

Lexi froze. "You mean skipping?"

"Yeah. Our parents would never agree to letting us go on a school day. No one would know," Emily shrugged.

Lexi pondered what her friends said for a moment. She'd never thought of skipping school before. And the mall was a lot more interesting than whatever assignments the teachers had to give Lexi. The rebellious feeling fired up in Lexi at that moment and she grinned.

"Okay! Count me in," Lexi replied.

Her friends cheered. "She's back!" Katie laughed.

EJ, Luke and Kirsten shook their heads. "Guys...you shouldn't," Kirsten started.

"Come on, Kit don't be a stick in the mud," Lexi chuckled.

"I'm not," Kit growled. "This is stupid! You know that your parents will skin you alive for this!"

"Well then you don't have to participate, Kirsten! I know you're a goody two shoes so I'm not pressuring you," Lexi snapped.

"Lexi, Kit is right," EJ told her.

"Whatever EJ. I don't think any less of you for being chicken," Lexi replied.

EJ rolled his eyes. Lexi was his girlfriend, but she could be a complete brat at times. "Well when you get caught, don't say I didn't warn you."

Lexi scoffed. "I won't."

Two days later...

Lexi met up with Emily and Katie by the school gates in the morning. Luckily for them, the mall was actually a good walking distance from their school.

"You ready?" Katie asked.

"Yep!" Emily and Lexi replied.

The girls quickly started to walk the other way from the school. Soon, they were on their way to the entrance of the mall.

"Where ya going?"

Lexi, Emily and Katie jumped and looked behind them.

"Jude! What the heck!? How long have you been behind us?" Lexi demanded.

Jude smirked. "Since you passed my school. So I followed you."

"Jude this is ridiculous, turn back now," Lexi ordered.

Jude shook his head stubbornly. "Nope."

"Jude stop being stupid," Lexi growled. Katie and Emily exchanged irritated glances.

"I'll go back if you do."

"Jude! Come on!"

"Fine. Then I'll tell mom," Jude sing songed.

Lexi rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine. But-"

"Stay out of your way, got it," Jude chuckled.

Jude, Lexi, Emily and Katie enjoyed themselves at the mall, looking through stores and clothes. Lexi took out the pocket money from her purse and bought her and Jude food from the food court and Katie and Emily bought ice cream.

"Okay, guys, this was too fun," Lexi chuckled as they walked out of the food court.

"Guys..." Jude whispered.

"Best idea yet," Katie agreed.

"Guys-"

"You said it! I doubt we'll get caught at all!" Emily replied.

"_Guys!_ Look!" Jude hissed, pointing past them in the distance.

"Is that-" Emily gasped.

"My mom!" Lexi groaned. Jen was across the walkway with Ziva and Abby. The three of them walked into a nearby store, not seeing the four teens.

"What do we do?" Jude whimpered.

"We need to leave. NOW," Lexi hissed.

The four stealthily made it past the store that Jen was in undetected. They snuck down to the lowest level of the mall and made their way to the entrance.

"Where should we go?" Emily asked.

"There's a cafe right down the street towards school. We could hide out there. There's only 3 hours left of school, so we can stay there. They have wifi and TVs and I have about $25 out of my pocket money left, so we're good," Lexi replied.

As the group began to walk out, a hand gripped Lexi's shoulder and another gripped Jude's.

**Don't you just love cliffhangers? **

**-Ally ^.^**


End file.
